#these are all questions i didnt know or even have the luxury to ask

[capitalisticveins]

Your mutuals in a zombie apocalypse?

Im telling u rn I had to analyze this shi bc I didnt know what it was asking at first😭

@deviantaj (rip) — Went AWOL first day, survives, somehow made it across the world

@e0sphorus — Also went AWOL however did not survive solely bc he didn’t move around a lot and got caught in a herd

@themeridian — Stayed with the group, seems like team morale and emotional support, however dies to a disease because someone* keeps using the medicine

@scopekale — Stayed with the group, and smuggled their own solo supplies in, doesn't share, but also barely uses the group supplies. Survives.

@battygutz — Joined the group midway, gunslinger, almost gets killed like 17 times, but somehow, somehow survives by dumb luck.

@mhmmaybe — Lowkey the type to stay in one spot and give handouts to passing survivors, prolly owns a farm or sumthin. Doesn't have lots of trouble with zombies, survives alone

@justaclownwholikesducks — low pain tolerance + screams randomly + easy to scare = dies first 4 months I don't make the rules

@vind3miat0r — Does this thing where they leave the group randomly and no one notices but when they come back they come back with LOOT, dies on an expedition and ppl started to notice

@hammerhead-jpg — Idk why but he seems like the type to live within a community with walls and food n stuff. Miiiight survive depends if someone feels like destroying it. Wonder who 👀

@mrsmiagreer — Lowkey always gives a caring feel so they're one of the 2 doctors on this list, makes sure everyone's as healthy as possible, prefers melee...dies to malaria

@gumballrightfoots — Gives off bandit vibes that steals supplies from other survivors, but based off stealth and not brute force, survives

@mokozroach - Feels like one of those survivors where all they really want is food. No shelter, no proper hygiene (since that need turns into a luxury in the event of an apocalypse), they might even try that trick where they dress up in zombie guts and vibe with the herd. When the winter comes? …Maybe they die to the winter eventually, or scurvy, whatever comes first

@starlightreader - In the group without ppl remembering they’re in the group half the time, and it turns into a vind3miat0r situation where they’ll stay behind in some cases to enjoy scenery or search places longer for more loot and it’s a rare case ppl notice. Survives to join a community and leaves the group

@cyc-chilla - *Is the person who takes all the medicine bc he’s dedicated to surviving ts, resorts to quiet weapons to avoid sound, honestly an equal opportunist scavenger and protector with slight Clementine vibes, can’t tell if you survive or not

@boees whered boee go wtf

Boee - The second doctor on the list that doesn’t deal with the killing zombies schtick at all, if you get bit this is the person you want to be amputated by 🙏🏾 Dies to internal bleeding

@annahxredaxted - Leads a cult/community running water, food, and safety. Ik cult makes it sound sketchy but who’s gonna question her💀 You know what happened to Prescott in The Walking Dead Game Season 3? Yeah that happens to her community, dies to a zombie bite

@prince-damien-of-darkness - One of those people who follows a herd, far behind enough that the herd doesn’t notice, and does it so that when the herd reaches people, they wait till the herd leaves and grabs the stuff the people left behind in a hurry. Might go far enough to use zombie guts to disguise as a zombie and join the herd temporarily. IF they do disguise as a zombie they die to a gunshot, if they don’t they survive long enough to leave the country and find a safehouse

This ask and post has been in my drafts for 6 months as I tried finishing this, Nai doesn’t even remember this ask. If you wanna be added bc I lowkey forgot all my moots just ask dont be scared at all🙏🏾

[sulviyves]

Wasn't so bad (Julian Loki x GN reader)

Maybe it wasn't so bad. It wasn't so bad you were spending the extended holiday with your older brother in france. The country itself was beautiful, with so much luxurious architecture,clothing and treats. Moreover you were also missing your older brother, you can't deny, its been a long time since you both have met up. Waiting at the airport felt like an eternity, constantly checking your phone to see if your brother ‘Akatsuki’ texted yet. Seeing no text yet, you sighed and impatiently tapped your pointer finger against your forearm, waiting for the familiar red-head to pick you up. 

Texting him one last time and reminding him that you were already at the airport, and making sure you dearest brother didn't forget of his responsibilities. And finally he decided to respond after what felt like HOURS..

The reply wasn't one you expected nor even thought of. A friend of his was picking you up?. You felt slightly worried, you haven't met any of his friends yet. Which made you feel slightly anxious. 

Till you were taken out of your thoughts by a handsome young 

Man. 

The young man spoke in french, leaving you to tilt your head to the side, confused what the handsome french man was telling you. 

The Frenchman catched on that you didnt understand him, which prompted him to let out a soft chuckle..and speak in english for you

“Bonjour, Im Julian Loki, one of your brother's friends!” Julian introduced himself politely. His accent strong but soft, it made your heart rush

Quickly you shook off your shock and introduced yourself back. 

‘’(Name) (Last name)..” Not fond of speaking to people you didn't know, you just simply told your name. Julian smiled softly and soon repeated your name. 

‘’(Name)..” The way your name rolled off his tongue so smoothly made you flush internally. Julian was an attractive young man, no doubt he was physically active due to the muscles you could see.. 

Clearing your throat you asked the most important question. 

“Are we just gonna stand here all day?” This question caught Julian off guard but made him chuckle nonetheless, he shook his head and soon helped you with your bags. 

Julian insisted he would be the one to place your luggage in the trunk, while you wait inside the car. 

Not so long after, the car started. With Julian driving and you in the passenger seat. 

The car ride was silent but comfortable, soft french songs were playing. Julian hummed the rhythm of the songs. 

Taking a quick glance at Julian, your cheeks flushed. Your heartbeat fast.. Maybe..

It wasn't so bad to spend the holiday with your brother. If it meant you could see the French man more often. 

.

.

.

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BONUS As you were enjoying the silent ride to your brother and Julian's shared apartment, your phone buzz indicated someone had messaged you. It was from akatsuki. 

Opening his message, you immediately felt the need to punch your brother..cheeky bastard!

Authors note; I really love this man, i wish i can see more of him i love him so much i wanna kiss his hand. i need more media of him SOB.

My requests r open! i write for twisted wonderland, bluelock and genshin<33

[kenzuieee]

ran haitani x spoiled gf

nothing..just some ran headcanons

ran haitani who doesn’t even try to hide the fact that hes staring at you while being behind the wheel of his bugatti la voiture noire.

ran haitani whose eyes glance from the street infront of his eyes to you. he practically undress you with them anytime theres a red light as his left hand grips the steering wheel whilst his right hand caresses your plush thighs. 

y/n who has to constantly remind ran to focus on the road as he keeps losing focus due to y/n quite literally seducing him without even knowing it.

y/n who constantly runs up ran’s bank card almost every day without a care in the world ? why should she care ? her boyfriend is ran haitani for fucks sake !!

y/n who puts her pretty feet painted white on ran’s dashboard as she mindlessly scrolls on instagram.

“rannn, do you think this would look good on me ?” you ask as you show the older haitani the most basic dress ever with a big smile plastered over your face.

“baby..that dress is so plain and simple for $2000.” he chuckles as he eyes the short black wool and silk dior dress on your cracked iphone 14 pro max. “and when did you crack your phone love ? i just bought it two months ago.”

you huff and pout as you lean back into the black seat of his luxury car. “so you’re saying it’d be ugly on me ?” you roll your eyes and continue, “and its the screen protector idiot.”

“i didnt say that love, anything looks good on you. i just dont think its worth that price.” ran mutters.

“whatever ran, im still going to buy it” you roll your eyes again while putting the dress in your cart, along with the DIOR ADDICT LIP GLOW OIL and some simple red bottom heels to match the dress. 

ran haitani who would definitely buy his girlfriend skims okay ?

you never have any luck with skims drops, as if anyone ever does. so you find yourself constantly complaining to ran about how what you want is never in stock or everything being sold out before you can even get to it. honestly, you weren’t TELLING ran to buy you skims, you were just complaining about the unfortunate situation thats been happening for months and months with each drop.  so when you and ran haitani left another bonten meeting at a bonten owned club, he told you about how he had a surprise awaiting you at your shared penthouse.

a series of “rannnn, what is it ? will you tell me please ?” flooded his ears during the car ride home that he simply smiled and answered with a simple “you’ll see.”

uppon arrival you see two large delivery boxes sitting upon the doorstep and you question what it could be. ran carries them inside with ease. ran removes his shoes after taking the boxes inside and tells you to sit infront of him and open the packages. you look at him with a puzzled face but nonetheless, you open the first box.

anticipation kills you as you remove the loads of packing peanuts and tissue to finally see a clear bag that says “SKIMS” on it and you almost pass out. 

“babeee” you look at him with puppydog eyes “did you really ? is all of this for me” you look at him as hes pouring some tequila into a clear glass with a cigarette between his lips. he looks at you, winks, and tells you to try everything on for him. of course, the first set you try on for him is the “fits everybody micro thong” and the “fits everybody micro triangle barlette.”

hi pookies, first post ig :3 this is the first “fanfic” i’ve written ig (?) lmk how i did and should i write a nsfw part 2 ? idk !! ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

[shadowreader23]

Final Fantasy Replay part 2

It was time to head to Golden Quay. Noctis mentally prepared himself as he got in the regallia not noticing the concerned look on Gladios face. He woukd be meeting Ardyn face to face for the first time. Shoulf he act as he did the first time? Should he be a bit more friendly to Ardyn? Woukd he be able to hild hinself back? He understood ardyn now and he knew why the man had done what he did bit that didnt mean noctos had to forgive him for all the pain and suffering he had caused. All this overthinking was giving noctis a headache. 

"Noct?"

Huh. He must have beem to lost in his thoughts to hear the question prompto asked

"Sorry prompto could you say that again?"

"I asked if we coukd stop here to take a photo with the chocobos" promoto smiled.

Right the chocobos. Prompto loved the animals. They did this the first time around as well.

"Of course" Noctos smiled as ignis stopped the car and they walked over to the group of wild chocobos prompto had spotted. Noctos missed seeing his friend like this. So young, happy and carefree this was the prompto he wanted to save. They stayed for around an hour as prompto got his photos and they sat down taking a short break and sharing some of the snacks they had packed for the journey. They hadnt done this the first time around.... it was nice but ended all to fast. They got back into the Regallia and finished their trip to Golden Quay. ___________

Ignis pulled into the parking spot with a sigh. Golden qualy finally they had arrived.  He was still concerned about Noctis. While he hadnt had anymore episodes he still seemed off. Ihnis just hoped the prince wasnt attempting to conceal an illness of some kind. He refilled the regallia while Noctis amd prompto had a chat looking at the beach.

"You're worried about him as well" Gladio said knowingly recognising the look that meant ignis was deep in thought.

"Yes hes been off ever since the incident" Ignis pondered

"Maybe the crystal triggered something?" Gladio suggested

Finished filling the regallia ignis paid and they proceeded down the bridge to the restaurant. __________

"If you're here to catch the ship im afraid your out of luck"

That voice. Ardyn. Ardyn. Noctis took a deep breath to keep his cool and decided to go off script slightly.

"Why's that?" He asked playing the part of spoiled prince

"No ships in or out on order of niffleheim" ardyn rolled a coin between his fingers before throwing it at noctis who caugh it. "You can use it on your travels" then Ardyn walked away. Very short very breif encounter he didnt attack ardyn or yell at him mayve he could do this after all.

In the relm of the Astrals Shiva smiled.

"We should check anyway" Ignis said and lead the group through the restaurant to the dock where sure enough there was no boat in sight. Dino was sat there but after they found out about the boat Noct decided they wouldnt go on his silly quest and instead they spend the afternoon doing hunts. They needed to get stronger and soon. So they backtracked to the chocobo ranch and took care of the monster in the area meaning they could now rent out chocobos and they all got some practice in. Noctis had really held back he was readjusting to fighting the way he used to it was just taking a while he was happy the arminger followed him back though it would save him so much time by not having to find all the royal tombs.

After dealing with the Monster they hedded back to Golden QUay and spent the night in the luxury room. It would be the last time they had such fine accomidations for a while.

As soon as his head hit the pillow Noct was out like a light. He had a room of his own but decided Prompto could share with him and Ignis and Gladio could share the other room.

Prompto was going to feel loved this time. He was going to know noctis was his friend no matter what and the even though he was a MT noctis didnt care. Prompto was his friend and deserved so much better than he got last time around.

_______ "Prompto had no idea why Noctis was suddenly acting a lot nicer to him but he didnt mind. The prince was less angry and standoffish agreed to his photo ideas and was more than happy to listen to him talk about chocobos and help take photos with him and now instead of sharring with gladio and iggy he was here sharing with noctis! The prince had insisted. What had happend? How had he got so lucky? Were he and Noctis best friends after all? How had that happend? When had that happend and how hadnt he noticed?

The bed really was comfy..... with that thought prompto also fell asleep.

______ Anyone want Part 3?

[bryndeavour]

OTP asks: 9, 21, 36 dealer's choice 🥰

9. Who travels lighter?

Max + Morse + Box + Fancy - Morse travels LIGHTEST. I think we knew this. Unless you mean physical weight cause we all witnessed his ass carry a whole ass typewriter around in the show. He owns 5 bottles of beer, a typewriter, a crate of records and a suit. Of him & Max i know that Max knows how to pack for a trip with the proper number of outfits for days, a set of nice clothes in case they go to dinner, and something warm in case it gets cold. I think box and fancy take minimal clothing, are pretty sure they can just buy whatever they might need when they get there, but would travel with EXCESS luxuries that maybe they didnt need to bring but did anyway.

21. Any routines one has that the other had to get used to (ex. morning, nighttime, sleeping habits)?

I will do VOSS and NAEMYS for this one - Voss going from being alone in his space ship to having Naemys there was probably a big adjustment. He also likely doesnt sleep heavily or late, even though he is lazy, so he's likely done a bunch of chores before naemys has even woken up. But also suddenly he's being kept up late by naemys getting zoomies and shit at 3am.

36. Who is more protective?

I will do Saga & Casey for this - AND ITS SAGA. She's a mama bear with psychic powers and he's just a divorced guy doing his job. Alan Wake 2 is just the answer to this question.

[interlacrimas]

Love in your blade - chapter 2 the garden

After the long work, i was told to go to the last room of the third floor, they didn't explain much, just followed me until i get there, saying it was orders from the king himself…it seems he is a man who keeps his word, I enter the room to see a fancy bed, with a nice view, a bathroom and all luxuries you would imagine, how could me…a mere peasant have so much so easily? I don't know…I just layed on the bed, staring at the ceiling once again.

I've spent 30 minutes in silence, just observing the place, until i heard a knock, i stand up and open the door, with no care about my appearance, after all a servant isn't even expected to look nice or anything, besides, i was to tired after the long day, once i open a woman was looking at me, she seem to be quite authoritarian, using an uniform that only the best knights use, she then said, with no expression on your face:

“Are you perhaps hajime hinata?”

“...yeah? Did I do something wrong, ma'am?”

“No, mister hinata, but it's required that you come with me.”

“Why-” before i manage to finish the whole sentence, she interrupted me right away:

“You don't have a choice, come with me” she said staring at my soul, i think it's better to not question her at all, i just followed her downstairs, she lead me into a beautiful door, it was fancy, she just open the door for me and allow me to enter, she didn't enter herself, she closed the door the moment i took a step on the place.

The place was…a Garden, it seem that it had been put big effort in this place, the prettiest of the flowers that i had never seen before, their colors shining on the moonlight, the place was full of beauty, but the most beautiful thing of that place was him…

The king himself…waiting for me, now his clothings weren't as formal, but they were still pretty well done, he wasn't wearing his crown, sitting around the roses, as he looks at me surprised.

“You actually came…?”

It was even funny, i laughed a little as i looked at his shining eyes

“I think i didn't have a choice”

“Yeah you fucking didnt”

“The king swear?”

“Pardon me…”

I was surprised he took the commentary seriously, it seem it wasn't appropriated for someone as important as him to talk like his people, the lowly ones

“I don't mind, don't push yourself so much” I sit by his side, he looked at me and smiled

“That's great to hear”

We both went silent, staring at each other, i feel like he wanted to ask more about what happened to my face, i can't blame him, i would like to know more about that blind eye of his.

And i was right, he touched my face, the side with all those dark marks i despise, i looked at him, my heart skipped a beat, but i made my best to calm down, it was the king, i cant question his reasons, and most of all, i cant wish for something i could never have

“Does it bother you? I mean…this marks are quite unusual, i've never seen any spell like that before”

“Sometimes it does”

“I could ask the mage from the castle to see if there is something to revert this”

“You don't need to go for all this trouble for me”

“Yes I need, dumbass”

We went silent again, as the moonlight hit our faces, we were on the grass, looking at each other, no word had been spoken for a few minutes, until he said

“Even so, your face is beautiful” i start to blush as i hear the compliment 

“If your majesty insists...then youre right”

I spent the whole night talking to that man, that was so far from me, but for this night he was so close, if only our situation was different…

Maybe we could possibly be friends… 

On the next day, I started early my job, I wasn't familiar with the place this day either, but at least i wasn't as lost as I was yesterday, I've cleaned at least 3 floors for now, going at each room and making sure its bright and beautiful, when suddenly I've heard his voice:

“You're such a hard worker”

“Can't risk being fired, can I?”

“I would prefer you didn't, you’re fucking entertaining”

“Entertaining?”

“That isn't why i came here” he then continue his sentence 

“Stop working and come with me, lets meet the magician and see what can be done for you”

(Hope you all are enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying to write this, btw, sorry for the rusty english, its not my first language:D)

[medicinal-doll]

Enough.

Title: Enough.

Daddy!Ransom drysdale x little!bratty!Reader

Words: 2k

Summary: You're sick and tired of Ransoms bullshit but he's not done with you yet

Warnings: ddlg themes, headspace switch, fluff, clit play,fingering,teasing,cursing,dom/sub dynamic

A/N: Writing this wiped me out and I dont know why (p.s. Thank you guys for liking my fics it means alot!)

*Please don't repost without permission If you use my writing as inspiration please ask first and credit me

..............

"You can't talk to me like this anymore!" you huff "I'm not just one of your little fucking dolls you can do what you want with ransom" you argue at your boyfriend while he stares at you with that nonchalant glare that he knows gets your blood boiling.

"Well, thats all good and fine doll but I dont remember telling you that you could fucking leave me"

"I'm done listening to you ransom" you turn around on your heels and storm out of the room.

"You wont get far~" he says in a sing song tone

"Shove it up your ass hugh!" you shout back

......

You find yourself at your apartment, and the fact that ransom bought it for you last year doesn't ease your anger. you sigh and slide down the wall filled to the brim with frustration. "God why does he have to be such A fucking dick all the time" you grumble.

In your wallowing you hear your phone buzz

"Hey girl!, where are you at?"

"Um... I'm at my apartment why?" you respond confused

"Are you seriously skipping out on my party!?" "I even said you could bring your rich asshole boyfriend "

Shit, you had forgotten all about her birthday party. the fight fogged up your thoughts so you didnt even get the chance to tell ransom about it.

"Yeah Um... No, I'll definitely be there don't worry" you say grabbing your keys and heading out the door.

"You better be...."

.........

"Hey!sorry I'm late" you embrace your friend in A warm hug.

"Girl don't even trip I'm just glad you made it"

"Hey where's your boyfriend?" She asks curiously

"Yeah about that I...."

"Right here!" ransom says waving a hand with sunglasses over his eyes. And his usual cocky smile, which normally would charm you but after the fight it makes your stomach turn.

Your stand there stunned with a surprised look on your face "oh and I got this for you" he hands her a flashy bag. probably containing some overpriced luxurious item "Can't forget the birthday girl" he says with A smile and your friend laughs "you know what ransom I knew you weren't so bad " your friend leaves to put her gift on the table.

Ransom meets your shocked eyes with an unreadable expression and the faintest tinge of a smile.

"Hey honey, did you miss me"

You scoff and walk off to find A drink. With ransom around, there's no way you're getting through this party sober.

You reach your hand towards the ladle to fill your red cup with the vodka punch. But ransom swoops up beside you grabbing the items from your hand, And makes your drink for you. He then he royally bows before offering the drink to you with both hands.

"My lady~" He says with a smirk and mischievous eyes

Your face scrunches up in annoyance "If you think this is gonna make up for this morning, you're dumber than you look"

You snatch the drink from his hands and walk off to another room

Ransom laughs to himself "there's my little grumpy bear..."

....

A short time later you find yourself in the living room leaning against the cream painted white walls, knee deep in a silly debate amongst friends.

Until you hear an ear catching clink ring out in the room.

As heads start to turn you smile in an excitement eager to hear the usual hilarious birthday speech.

Your eyes land on the speaker in question, and a sense of existential dread robs you of your mood and cheerful smile.

"Excuse me ladies, gentlemen" "and birthday girl" ransom gestures to your friend.

"I only require your attention for a few quick moments" he says as he slowly inches closer towards you, and you instinctively mold your back against the wall fearing what ransom has to say.

"My love" he leans down and kisses your hand, but you feel awkward when he doesn't let go "These past years we've been together have been absolutely beautiful"

"And with that I only have one thing to say"

Ransom gets down on one knee and you feel your spirit leave your body from the embarrassment.

"Honey will you marry me"

"I think I'm gonna be sick" you say to yourself then rush out of the room running upstairs into the first bathroom and puke your guts out in the toilet.Shortly after you hear footsteps then feel A presence behind you.

Comforting hands find themselves grabbing your hair holding it away from your face, While a soothing hand rubs small circles along your back.

When you get done spilling your guts you're drained mentally and physically. Between being mad at ransom,attending the party, and throwing up. your energy was gone, with your brain out of order for the rest of the evening.

"You're alright sweetie you're okay "ransom says in that caring tone reserved only to you his little girl. you feel your mental state start to slip ,so you turn around and cling onto ransom wrapping your hands around his neck and hiding your face in his shoulder curling up into him.

"Cmon princess let's get you home and get you cleaned up

You nod silently into him feeling too small to talk.

Ransom understands this and how you can go mute when you're feeling especially tiny, and he picks you up carrying you downstairs.

"Hey ransom what the hell was that" your friend questions and you squeeze tighter onto him. Ransom just rolls his eyes and her eyes land on you "Hey you okay girl?" ransom does not have the patience for this questioning in general, but his short temper drops to almost nothing when it comes to caring for his babygirl.

"She's fine" "thanks for the party" ransom answers shortly before storming out the front door to his ridculousy expensive car.

Not even 5 minutes into the car ride you're out like a light head bobbing up and down, drool threatening to spill from your pouty lips and ransom has a warm hand on your leg as he admires your cuteness.

You reach home and now its ransoms favourite part, waking you up. you're so bratty when woken up from a nap. you just get the nastiest little attitude just cause you're sleepy. It's like you turn into A little ransom jr. with your potty mouth.

"Gorgeous wake up we're home" ransom gently shakes your body, and you frown turning your face away from him snuggling more into the seatbelt. ransom sighs and unbuckles you "Cmon princess be good and let daddy take care of you"

"No...." you pout to yourself ransom laughs finding your behaviour cute and picks you up bridal style softly cooing at you so you dont throw a fit and heads inside.

.......

Ransom sits on the stool in the bathroom with you sleepily tucked in his strong arms, while the warm bath water runs with your favorite soap and bath bomb to entice you in.

"Time to get undressed little one" ransom says as he grabs the hem of your dress slowly lifting it up you squirm away and try to push his hands off you with what little strength you have.

"Be good..." Ransom says in A warning tone but that only rouses you from your sleepy state even further. Gaining some of your big girl strength back you struggle against his prying hands with more vigor.

"Ow!" Ransom delivers A harsh slap to your backside which make you regress back into little girl space, and you sniffle softly as ransom removes your clothing.

After your pink panties hit the floor ransom stands with you in his arms and goes to set you in the warm water "Daddy no!" You cling onto his neck for dear life and ransom giggles silently to himself "glad to see you're finally awake honeybun" "but you gotta get in the bath so daddy can get you all clean okay pretty girl" your fight leaves your body at his praises but you still hold onto him.

"Baby" his voice darkens and you quietly tremble at the change of his tone

"You've been pretty fucking bratty to your owner today" he says as he threateningly caresses your bum "All that big girl mouth you gave to me this morning and at the party" he places a kiss to your temple and lowers his mouth to your ear "So don't take my kindness as forgiveness honey your still gonna get your punishment"

Your eyes widen at the buzzword " No papa! Not A punishment anything but that!"

You whine into his shoulder "M'sorry" ransom comfortingly pats your butt

"Well then you can start by getting in the bath like your daddy told you to hun" you whimper and slowly lower a leg down into the bubbly warm water and ransom follows your movement by slowly easing you down into the tub.

You give into the warm sensation and instantly relax "close your eyes baby" ransom fills a cup with the warm water with a fresh rosy aroma and delicately pours it over your head, you look up at ransom with innocent eyes "Daddy... Are you mad at me?" you question as he scrubs your back being suprisingly careful with you, ransom pauses for a second in thought..

"You know I'll always love you honey no matter how hard of a time you give me" ransom leans in and peppers your face with kisses and you giggle.

You tilt your head in confusion as he reaches for something from the counter.

He holds the toothbrush in front of your face and squeezes the minty paste onto the bristles "open up for me hun" you slightly part your mouth and ransom sticks the toothbrush in, bristles slowly gliding over your teeth.

When ransoms done, he grabs a cup and begins filling it with water then holds it to your face "swish this around and spit it back in the cup for me dolly"

you follow his instructions swishing the liquid around before letting it all go back into the cup "good girl" he ruffles your wet hair, then ransom pulls the bath stopper from the tub and turns his attention back to you.

"Alright cutie arms up" you lift them and ransom wraps the baby pink towel snug against your form, and picks you up.you lean into him as water from your hair drips onto his shirt.

........

Ransom sits down on the edge of the bed with you in his lap. a few minutes pass as your eyes flutter open and closed every now and then. until you feel A hand grab a hold of the soft flesh of your thigh and roughly part your legs. you look at ransom in curiosity and go to speak but A firm hand clasps itself around your mouth.

Ransoms fingers dance around your inner thigh inching dangerously close to your princess parts "Daddy?" You try to say but it gets muffled by ransoms big hand "Shhh princess, you didn't think I'd forgotten about you punishment did you?" ransoms fingers brush over your clit and an indescribable chill runs up your spine and you whimper.

"I know you're tired baby so daddy's gonna take it easy on you" he starts moving his index finger in slow circles around the hood of your clit and you try to shake his hand from your mouth, but it's not budging "All I need is A sincere apology from you hun" "And daddy's gonna play with your little girl button until he gets it, okay sweetness?" He removes his hand from your mouth panting lightly ,and you yelp when he pinches your clit between his fingers "I wanted an answer to that baby"

"yes daddy..." you whimper softly and he slaps your clit "Ah!" You cry out "louder doll I couldnt hear you" "Yes! Papa!" You whine and hide your face in to his shoulder softly breathing in his intoxicating cologne "Good girl, Now tell daddy how sorry you are for your behaviour today" he says as he rolls your clit between his thumb and index finger

"Daddy I'm sorry..." he pauses his motions "for what honey" he says blankly

"F-for...um.." "Ah!" Another harsh slap hits your clit and ransom speeds his fingers up rubbing your clit at a mind numbing pace "Silly little girl doesn't even know what she's apologizing for" you barely hear what he is saying as your eyes water at the pleasure between your legs.

ransom senses this and leans his head down to your ear and speaks to you in that low dominant voice he knows gets you worked up "Babydoll.." your ears perk up "If you cum before I get my apology, I'll beat your ass red and raw till you scream how sorry you are" "Daddy doesn't have to do that right? Or is someone still feeling disobedient....."

"No! I'll say it please..." he slows down his ministrations and you sniffle "Go on honey, daddys listening"

"M'sorry daddy"

"For?" He questions

"F-for being A bad girl and being bratty to you"

"Aww see hun, that wasn't so bad was it" he wipes the tear that threatens to fall from your eye and kisses your head "daddy forgives you bunny...." ransom says as he dives two thick fingers into your juicy cunt and starts moving them up towards your g spot, and you scream "Daddy!" As you moan in pleasure and involuntarily writhe your body against him.

Ransoms fingers brush up against A certain sensitive spot and your mind goes blank "Ah- No! I said it daddy you promised!!" You sob into his shoulder "You were so naughty for me baby" He coos as he glides his fingers over that place sparking fireworks in your belly "trying to leave your daddy baby why honey"

You slip further into your small state as high pitched moans leave your mouth head too fuzzy to respond "Has daddy not been nice enough to you hm?" "Maybe I need to start babying you more honey"

Your walls clamp down on his fingers as you mutter his name again and again in a trance of pleasure "Cmon sweet girl cum for daddy so I can put you to bed" Ransom adds A third finger into your soaked pussy and rubs your clit in small circles with the other.

"Go on honey give daddy your orgasm, drench my hands and lap with that little princess cunt"

"Its not a princess cunt!" You whine at him feeling bratty again from his teasing "Aw baby yes it is, it's so wet and so tiny all for me" he lifts your head up to kiss your face, you blush and shy away from him hiding in his shoulder again to pout.

Ransom brushes over your clit one last time, and you bite down on his shoulder to muffle A loud cry as your body convulses around him. ransom runs a soothing hand up and down your waist slowly coaxing you through your orgasm, and slows down his fingers inside of you.

when your breath stills and you stop shaking ransom takes his fingers out of you with A pop. you lift your head up to look at him, and you see him lick every last drop of your cum from his fingers like it's his last meal. Then he delivers A sickeningly sweet kiss to your lips, but you pull away and look down in guilt.

"what is it darling" he asks as he rocks you gently back and forth "M'not ready to get married..." you look up at him through your bambi lashes, and he just laughs recalling the events from a few hours ago.

"I wasn't serious hun, I know you're not ready to marry me yet" "Would be nice though" he kisses your cheek as your expression fills with uncertainty "then why did you propose in front of all those people?"

"I dont know, I guess I thought that it would make you change your mind about leaving...."

"You made yourself look like a fool for me?" You quirk up at him and Ransom laughs giving you the gentlest kiss on your lips "Over and over again doll" he whispers to you.

"You got the spoiled little rich boy wrapped around your finger" he sighs and you giggle

"I was never gonna leave you daddy, I was just tired of you bossing me around all the time..."

"I'm sorry angel, you want me to stop babying you so much?"

You giggle at him and kiss his nose

"No daddy, I'll always be your little girl" you smile at him and he grins right back at you "Okay doll, time for bed" Ransom places one last kiss on your forehead before picking you up leaving the room to get his girl in her pj's and tucked into bed.

[sidesteppostinghours]

6 9 15 for your choice of character!

evening!! thank you for the ask jay! dont. dont look at what day it is. its irrelevant dont even worry about it.

6. Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

answered this one here!

9. Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

and this one over here! :]

15. What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

unanimously the answer is sleep. cecilias case is a bit more complicated because she doesnt have her puppet as an escape (she Hates being ace so bad), but for all of them its like. the most rancid mix of "i cant get anything done+the Horrors" that makes all of them see sleep as some variation of 'useless bad thing Do Not Do This." for individual answers though:

Caine- cooking. and cleaning. and decorating. honestly basically anything other than the bare minimum upkeep of their living situation that wont end directly impact his work. he lives in an r/malelivingspace ass house. dont even talk to them about their base. this is why ortega still thinks theyre poor.

Cyrus- social hangouts. he used to enjoy these when he was younger, but ever since heartbreak he couldnt see any real point and stopped participating in them. its only recently that hes started doing them again. everybody point and laugh at the loser making Friends again.

Cecilia- this is interesting to answer for her since, after heartbreak, she absolutely Refused to do things that she didnt find interesting or at the very least useful in some way. she would classify her whole life before heartbreak– hell, before becoming lupin– to be a waste. a waste of time she didnt know was precious, a waste of people she didnt know she had to cherish. nowadays, she doesnt have the luxury of time to waste on things she doesnt want to do.

Cynthia- would it be depressing if i said investing into relationships. she Wants to– she so desperately wants to cultivate a real relationship with somebody without strings attached, but shes not naive enough to think that she can. she still puts in effort, but theres always the small nugget in the back of her brain that it isnt worth it.

questions from here!

[fruit-salad-ship]

Cute Roman AU thought. One of the gardeners that Peach talks to suggests planting something that she can care for, like an olive tree. Something that would grow with her as she grows more accustomed to her new life with Plum and Grey. Even better later when she can eat the fruits of her labor.

I dont knwo why Rome AU always gets SO out of hand writing wise. Im so sorry guys.

theres probably a billion spelling errors here, i scrambled to get this down, and have yet to read it back or check it over. so. good luck.

she started small, her days off were spent caring for the hot weather plants, her favorites were the lavender and herbs that left their earthy smell on her hands for hours if she's been working them. Its miles from the dirt and blood and sweat and grime of the pits, its clean and fresh and bright and she adores it, quick to volenteer to take any herbs needed to the kitchen if the task needs doing.

plum notices, of course she does, this is her newest and most damaged little repair project to date, and one shes become increasingly fond of. Peach currently lives in staff accomodation, admittedly more barracks with amenities, most staff go home after their shifts to actual homes and families, but peach is a permanent resident with her own room and key, a first sure, but perhaps she could do with something a little more...homely. So plum plans to move her to one of the guest houses, a small but homely space, no more sharing her room with others. Plum knows peach will be difficult about this, so asks her to accompany her to the guest house, one of several on her properties, to just help do it up a bit. A slight lie. It admittedly is one of the lesser used one, and a lot of furniture has been stored in there.

Its a dusty mess, some rats scamper out, the yard out back is overgrown, but its got good strong walls, roofs in perfect condition, keeps the rain out. Peach is the one to do the lions share, no way is this a Plum job, she didnt let her lift a single ipece of furniture, even though plum muddles about fussing with decorations and sweeping and such. By the end of the day the two have been cleaning and organising for hours, only really pausing to discuss what decorations to go with from the wide assortment of things stored there, peach finds it odd that Plum would make her choose, but her boss had a habit of trying to get her to show her opinions, so she tried to indulge. The space felt...cosy, little kicthen, a tall ceilinged living space, windows with lots of light pouring in. the log store was filled, cushions beaten of dust, debris swept out, and bed made, a bed with fine sheets of the softest cotton, a real luxury to someone who'd spent her life on stone floors and wooden benches. Peach found it oddly cathartic to sort the space, taking up her shield that'd been placed down to work, the space ready for future guests as she stood back taking it in.

A knock on the door pulled them both, seeing Grey stick his head in, expressing how nice it was in there now. In his hands was a plant, its roots wrapped in a sack so as to not spread dirt everywhere. He hands it to peach who says nothing, just takes it to hold, its her job after all, as he keeps snooping around with a jolly disposition. once returned he asks where she's going to plant that thing, to which Plum shoves him with her elbow to stop, and he gathers that the topic hasnt been brought up yet, immediatly shutting up. Peach just standing there, clueless, looking between them, this sappling in her arms, not daring to ask a question, it wasnt her place to do that. Plum kind of laughs, breathes, knows this will be less than painless, pulling a key from a pocket within her robes, placing it on the table.

You can see the realisation sink in, the cogs ticking as she explains that this place, his home, is now peach's, to do what she wants with, no more barracks, no more sharing space. its an outskirt space, no one ever uses it, and she believes its time this woman, who came to her so damaged and so skittish, had something she could feel truly proud of. Peach...doesnt understand. Tries to explain that she couldnt afford to buy it, is this maybe a house sitting gig until the real owners come home to it? perhaps....a joke? shes not too sure what constitutes a joke just yet, but this could be one??? they have to sit her down and clearly lay out that no ones coming for the building, theres a quarter acre around it thats hers to play with, that theres no repayment, no trick or trap, and if she leaves or moves, that it fall back to plum as her property. Until then, its in Peach's name. It's hers. No strings. Grey says the plant he brought was a house warming gift, apologising for runing the surprise with a laugh, it wasnt his intention.

Peach is left to sit in this space, still processing, the other two suggesting she move her things to here now her shift was over, they'd come back for dinner in a couple hours to celebrate the move with her.

Shes on the plush chair, sat with this plant in her lap, blinking hard as she looks around, unsure if she should move? if she can touch stuff, or like...what??? it takes a few minutes, well, half an hour, shes not sure what to do, but the plant needs water, its the one thing to spur her to move from her position, sat tightly wound, in a confused silence.

The garden was fenced off kind of, areas collapsed in on themselves, all long grass, the scattering of trees and rocky earth feeling very natrual. she stands in the kitchen doorway leading out to a cobbled area, what was once a clothesline fallen, holding that plant perhaps a little too tight without realising it, looking around with no clue at all what to do. Theres a well about five meters away from the house. Its a first step, having to rummage in the long grass to find the rope and bucket that would bring water up to her, dumping the plant in it while crouched in the sun. This had to be a joke right?

The pair return and shes sat out in the last minutes of sun on an old crate, just kind of staring off, only noticing them when they open the gate into the yard, sitting straighter, back on her best behaviour. Shes still in her work gear, her shift ended hours ago, but she sat in the armour this whole time, something Grey points out, adjusting how hes carrying a small crate of things, bottles and vegetables poking out from the top. She didnt realise, apolagising, so spaced out. Meanwhile Plums gone inside, a plate of ingrediants in hand, placing it down and noticing nothings been touched, and upon looking in the closet in the bedroom, none of peach's clothes are put in there, nothing of hers is here at all in fact. Peach is startled when her boss shouts out to her, asking why shes not got her stuff yet, unable to find an answer. What did she mean? like. her things? was she a stay in guard for this place or something?? It doesnt really click, but she can't argue as Plum grabs her hand and pulls her away from the place, Grey staying behind to start cooking up a storm. Peach is brought to the barracks, Plum nagging her to get out of her work gear, her days ended, its time to relax. But...if shes guarding the house surely shes got to be in work gear? After getting her back into normal clothes, the boss grabs an empty wooden box, going straight to the guards old room, placing it on the bed. Peach just stands there, not 100% sure why shes putting her books in there, or her little weird looking rock collection that lined the windowceil, or the spare dagger she kept under her pillow. She jumped to work when plum told her to start folding her clothes up and put them in the box too.

by the time the pair were walking back, the wreath peach made around her neck, placed there to carry it hands free by Plum, all her things in this wooden crate, wandering back in the low light of the creeping night hours, boss with a simple vase in her arms that she'd gifted her companion a while back now, stopping occasionally to pick a bit of grass or flower, adding it to the pot. each pause made peach stop, look back at her, try not to feel...nervous? her stomach turned, she didnt know that feeling, it was like nerves, but something was off about it.

The little house's chimney gently let smoke waft away, the light of candles and fireplace strangely inviting to the fighter, entering the space after her boss, seeing Grey turn to welcome them in once more, glad to see Plum pushing the big dope to the bedroom to unpack. Even while placing her clothes in the wardrobe there, a far finer piece of furniture, it wasnt sinking in, this felt like she was just some bit.

Grey and Plum watched from across the room as this huge woman, a usually daunting form sunk onto a couch, told to put her things where she wanted them, just kind of holding a bunch of rocks, glazed over, not sure what to do with them. even her posture looked timid, grey suggested she was just a little lost.

"She didnt have a room for years, then got a small space of her own and you saw how she was with it, everything taking up as little space as possible. And now she's got all this house to roam around in. Maybe she's just got too many choices to pick one?" A valid point, he'd been there where she was, he understood, though not to this degree, this was quite severe. Plum nodded, taking up a glass of wine as she approached the guard, watching her shift her posture again to seem more capable, not cowering or timid, back to guard mode. She'd break that behaviour yet, but for now, she sat, curled up close to Peach, her legs over the big womans lap, taking one of the rocks from her to look it over. She asked why it was special, tried to pry a conversation from her, pick something Peach could find words for, get the ball rolling. Slowly the woman managed to find a scentence, explaining its a rock that looks like the rocks from her home, dark, nearly a blackish purple. Plum kept choosing different rocks, each being placed on the table as peach told her of the reason she kept all of them one by one. 9 rocks, all odd, some sparkly, others a cool shape or from a place she got to visit and enjoyed. It seemed to calm her, enough to at least not sit so stiffly, though she was really taking up as little real estate on the couch as possible. It was just nice to be with Grey and Plum for her, the smell of cooking, the sound of them joking and laughing, it was nice. even if she was still a little lost.

That clueless nature didnt seem to leave Peach, not during dinner, not after while they drank and laughed, not when they all made it to the bedroom, nor when she woke up with them both there still fast asleep, creeping off in the morning to pace around the little living space. The sun poured in through a window, calling the woman outside, the kitchen door opening to reveal the start of a new day.

Her eyes caught birds on the janky fence, a couple fields over a few deer grazed, wind in the trees, and then finally, the shrub in the bucket that she'd forgotten about. Bare footed she slunk out through the long grass, into the light to pull it from the water, setting it down gently as she looked around, if she did put it in dirt, would it be nice to have it close? maybe she'd put it somewhere she can see it from a window...hypothetically speaking.

Thats where they found her, Plum woke to find the fighter gone and immediatly panicked, rushing to throw a robe on before tracing behind her clear path, the back door open, she always drifted towards the light, and sure enough there peach was, out in the garden carrying around this plant in a bucket. she'd put it down, look at it, tilt her head, then pick it up and move it, and repeat this many a time, sometimes returning to an original spot to try to decide. Grey soon found his way out, putting water on for morning tea, joining plum in the doorway watching her watch the once nervous guard plod around trying to decide just one thing.

You can only imagine peachs horror when Grey called her, realising she'd gotten caught up in such a stupid thing, putting the tree down and coming over immedaitly. He handed her a cup, herbal smells rising from it, something she sipped gingerly. They asked where she'd put it, and she waved it off, she was just being stupid, it didnt matter, it was wherever they wanted it, not her decision. a dismissive behaviour that once again needed to be confronted, Plum taking her hand and pulling her back out to the garden gently. Yet again, she had to explain this was hers now, she HAD to decide where to put it, it was no one elses choice. Peach clams up, doesnt know what to do again, giving no answer, retracting in on herself as best she could to be quiet and not say what she was thinking. A face Plum had grown use to translating, asking her to say it, just spit it out, whatever was going on in her head, Grey in the door enjoying the sun, hoping this would be easier with time, a quiet pain as he heard what came next. It hammered home an unchangable fate, one both he and Peach could not truly escape.

"I can't own this. I don't have any rights to do so, i've been property since I was a child. I can't find love, or have freedom, I can't marry, I can't own a home, I can't start a buisness, or sign contracts to even rent this place, or to try to improve what i've been handed in life, I can't make decisions or choices that matter. This is just...something that'll be taken away the second someone finds out. And then you'll be in trouble and it'd be my fault. I can't accept this, in another life maybe, and in this one i'm truly grateful for the thought, I can't even begin to express what it means that you'd go this far for someone like me." Peach pulls her hand away from plums grasp gently, feeling the pit in her stomach grow deeper, aching. "I'm just sorry, you both did so much and I cant repay the favour. Even if I can't accept this you both spent so much time and effort on it all, it was wasted and I can't fix that. Trust me I would if I could."

The options she had were limited, a constant cause of anger and frustration normally, but this time, Peach just felt sad, defeated, doing her best to not let her feelings creep in. Plum said nothing, turned and made her way along the overgrown path, out to the gate, trudging back to the house across the property, a look of fury on her face as she met another guard on duty and got escorted away, something Peach caused in her own mind. There was no way that wasnt her fault, only flinching slightly as Grey put his hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that it was ok, this wasnt her fault. He knew, he'd seen Plum this mad before, she was about to do something decisive with that look on her face.

Work was difficult, Plum didnt say a word to anyone, she stayed in her study, and seemed to have several people in to see her in the morning, and just as many in the evening, her guards being posted up by the doors outside, Grey passing by on occasion to check in, to which she seemed fine. still mad. Peach didnt meet her gaze for two days, didnt want to make it worse, trying to take up jobs that kept her well out of the way. That was untill she was called by name to the office. Plum left through the big doors as she turned from a hand full of men all sat in fancy robes, smiling sweetly as she got a brief moment to face the guard who had no clue what was happening, her back to the guests, gone was her anger, this time worry set across her features. She had a moment where the doors shut and it was just her, Peach, and two guards either side of the doors stood to attention.

"You need to be on your best behaviour." Said as Plum pulled the sheathed sword from Peach's belt, taking her shield with the other hand, handing them off to a guard to hold, before fixing her hair a little, pushing strands from her face, wiping dust from her cheek, pulling the short cloak on her back over her shoulders a little to mask the sheer strength of her. The warrior had no idea what was happening, Plum gesturing for her to follow her after tepping back to look her over once more. Reentering the room the girls were met with stern looks, Peach didnt feel comfortable, her eyes set on the floor, not at all ready to meet the eyes of any of these well dressed, clearly powerful men. They wore jewels and gold, fine silks, watching as Plum took up her seat back at her desk, Peach doing what she was told, staying quiet, by her side, stood back and to attention.

They discussed, some asked questions about Peach's time with her newest employer, others wished to have an account from the old owner, sadly discovered dead not too long ago. Without a second testemony they tracked to her long, prolific stint in the arena, she was well known, many had seen her fight, some even challengeing her in the streets when she worked in her new guard role, not that she ever took the offer to battle up. Her bouts were brutal, efficient, she fought like ten men and didnt hesitate when confronted with danger. more than half the men that sat discussing her had seen first hand how vicious she was with a sword in her hand. The conversation seemed critical, negative, they didnt once ask peach anything, all questions directed to her owner, who was giving nothing but shining responses to paint a better picture.

Peach was eventually freed to resume her shift, leaving her boss in that room with the small group, all still discussing, mostly at how dangerous Peach was. She took her sword back from the guard outside, shield on her back once more, feeling safer with the items on her person, thanking them for keeping them for her before leaving.

another two days passed by, Peach didnt know what to do or where to stay, every time her shift ended Grey would find her out in fields and gardens, trying to avoid going home, and every time he'd have to drag her back to the new residence, sitting her down, getting her talking and distracted from the stress of the situation until she'd admit defeat and rest up, usually on the sofa, and not the bed. She struggled to be in that thing alone, it didnt feel like hers to use without explicite permission from her boss. a boss she'd not seen since the weird meeting she was dragged into.

Finally, on the third day, Peach was called early into the main house, up a flight of stairs into Plums office once more. She said nothing, handing a wax stamped letter to the guard, a hand gesture encouraging her to open it. Plum watched the woman do as she was told, doing her best to read what was there. Admittedly she was improving, but some of the words were new to her, the purpose of the letter escaping her, looking back to her boss a little confused, watching as the elegant lady sat, writing something on parchment, gesturing for her to sit down at the table opposite her. The guard very carefully perched on a fancy chair, feeling out of place, putting the letter on the desk, an action her boss noticed and looked up at.

"You...read it right?" Peach nodded, and then sort of glanced away a little embarrased. "I dont know what its about, my names in there, but half the words were... I dont know what they mean." The slow blink of her boss and sudden laughter was a shock, somethign Peach felt was her doing, being dumb enough to cause someone to laugh was about right, sinking in on herself a little for what was probably stupidity. Plum realised what may have just happened and opened the letter up, coming around the desk. "What words, point them out and i'll explain." Trying to backtrack and get the purpose of this visit out in an educational way at least. Her little form stood so close, arm around peach's strong shoulders, watching her peer over to the paper and muddle through it once more. Several words were simply legal jargon, no wonder peach hadnt seen them before in those corny romance novels she would read, but the one that stumped her the most was one she'd probably never even been told exists, one she'd never once have seen writted down in her life thats for sure, people would have made SURE she'd not know this one.

"manumission." Plum said it out loud, watched Peach look back at it, parrot it back to her, clueless, waiting for the definition, the purpose of that one word. "It means you're free." The guards brow furrowed, reading and rereading the scentence, piecing together wether or not that was a thing you could do. The little woman didnt take her eyes off her, smiled sweetly when she looked back up at her still confused. "I appealed for your freedom the first day you came home but you had a pretty dangerous reputation so city leaders were cautious about just letting you go. The appeal got denied on several attempts... So this time I went about it a little differently." And by differently, Plum meant bribes, blackmail and gentle threats, to which Grey had been helping with in his free time. "I'm sorry it took this long."

"What?" Was all peach got out, feeling plum slip between her and the desk, directly ahead of her, taking both her shoulders firmly to focus her attention. "You're free. I don't own you. No one owns you anymore." Her grip was grounding, Peach needed that right now. Her quiet turned to involentary tears that she didnt notice falling, not a word from her, she didnt know what to say, or do, or feel.

Maybe she'd wake up and be back in the pits, but the touches felt real, and the arms that held her were warm, and the crying stung. Plum did not let her go, not for a second, she still fought for Grey, he was yet to be freed, but this time, she got lucky, picked the right city advisors who thought all women weak, they didnt see peach as a threat, her displays in the pit flukes, clearly set up shows for the masses. They had no idea just how dangerous she truly was, but youd not think it now, not while this big usleess lump of a woman sobbed uncontrollably, even when she tried to stop, it just wouldnt quit, not then, not when plum got her to sign for the property she could now legally own, not when she was given a contract to sign legally to be an employee of plums house, a few tears landing on ink and blurring the words. She didnt stop when she went back to work, trying to reel it in around the others. amongst them from what she saw it was only her and grey who had this fate handed to them, the others were people simply hired, living their lives. no one else carried such a burden, so telling them seemed pointless. She just did her job, and tried her best to stop crying. The tears made every guard around her nervous, she was always so stoic and calm. The youngsters rallied to her as support, trying to cheer her up with jokes, unaware that she didnt need cheering up, she was happier than she'd ever been. The older staff tried to pry it out of her in more subtle ways, find out if they could help, if they had someone to beat to a pulp for hurting her, a rare offer they didnt give her much due to the fact that she would happily fight her own battles. She laughs, it throws them all off as she thanks them for their concern, that shes fine, that shes better than ever. and finally, Grey. Her captain gets wind of the state shes in, his subbordinates coming to him to express concern, to ask that he checks on her to make sure shes ok. Its not like shes not working, shes just crying the whole time, so he wanders over to her post, approaching to the sound of sniffling and sobbing, caught off guard by laughter from her, she's at her post, patrolling as expected.

She hears him approach and turns, he doesnt expect the tears, even hearing them didnt prepare him, but the smile was what threw him the most. He immediatly goes to her with arms open, and she doesnt hesitate to take him up on the welcomed hug. A first, usualy tentative or at least hesitant before taking the offer he extended. Theres no words he can find that express just how happy he is to hear that all the hard work plum had put in, all the threats and bribes made, amounted to a success.

Plum watches from a balcony, can see them at the boarders near the gates discussing, unaware that behind walls and shrubs other staff watch on, all overhearing their conversation. She sees grey exclaim, heard his shock, his joy, peach is still crying luaghing, smiling, years of grief coming out, and in no time at all, the hidden staff are on them. Several guards, a couple of the house girls, one of the gardeners, a stable boy, all on them, one big group shout, cheer, all for that big dope who refuses to see that her place in the world is forming. People around her care, they're in her corner. Plum retires as the commotion dies down, a deep sigh of relief, that finally something has come of all the hard work she's put in to fix this.

It isnt hard to guess where the boss ends up by the late hours, creeping out into the dark to finally join Peach in the house she now legally owned, happy to see her off duty guard answer her knocks at the door, a drink already in her hand, hair down, as if she'd been having her own little celebration, looking a little red in the cheek. Plum is met by a smile, no stiff posture, no immediate retraction to straighten up and look ready for work, just the door held open, no words. Boss goes in, and doesnt come back out until the late morning, revelling in her guards day off with her, not even considering leaving that bed.

Peach plants that shrub Grey got her by the little wooden gate into the property, every day brushing past it with a smile. She can see it from her home, so even when it rains and shes in, she can look to it. The mark of freedom for her is a tree, one that seems to remind her that progress is often steady and slow.

[sllhouettedreams]

A LOT of people can relate to crowley because his doubt in God manifested as rebellion and apostasy. Ive not talked to a high number of good omens fans but i can't imagine a lot of devout christians are a hardcore fans of it (or neil gaiman in general lbr). Crowley is immediately relatable bc his religious trauma is made of the same stuff as most fans.

But aziraphale shows the other side to Doubt and that's just incessant faith. He believes in God's Plan even when he doubts it. Even when it hurts innocent people because he believes that god will do good.

As for the heaven and archangel side of things like..I think a lot of people blame aziraphale for the end of s2 without realizing that... both crowley and aziraphales relationship with heaven mirrors that of an abusive parent/family.

I mean we all saw gabriel tell (who he thought was) aziraphale to shut up and die. This was ONE instance we were able to see of Aziraphale being given punishment. He mentions in Paris about heaven admonishing him for 'frivolous miracles' when crowley asks him why he didnt just leave the prison himself. Like. there are so many jokes about 'paperwork' for being discorporated and well. Theres something to be said for aziraphale being more willing to deal with the aftermath of being beheaded and needing a new body than to unlock his cuffs and save himself and risk upstairs citing him again.

Then there was the whole gabriel bringing sandalphon to the bookshop and using interrogation tactics on him (blocking the exit, putting sandalphon at his back, etc). The angels are so quietly malicious- "there are no back channels, michael"- right before michael phones a demon in hell. Like!! They might be inept when it comes to humanity but they hide their cruelty so well.

Like. I dont really have the words to make this all convincing and proper or whatever and im sure someones said it before and better with more examples but like

If you think of both of them as a victim of abuse, it puts it all into perspective doesnt it? The effects of abuse are so different for everyone especially when its abuse from family. Aziraphale has only ever wanted to appease heaven and do good by them that when given the chance to do the most good he jumped right on it. Heaven has sunk its claws deep into aziraphale to use as a tool. And aziraphale doesnt even realize! Bc if he werent "doing good" then he'd have been cast out like crowley had been, right?!

And Crowley was completely cut off from heaven for asking a few questions! He remembers what heaven was like and thinks there are a number of similarities between the two. Hes been utterly convinced of his wickedness. He will not ever return not even with the promise of forgiveness. He HAS seen that heaven is "toxic" because of the absurd reason he was cast out in the first place. He was a starmaker who asked questions!! And god was what. Annoyed at being challenged?

Crowley got out because he was cast out, aziraphale hasnt been granted that luxury and wont take those steps bc who knows if the punishment will be a simple Fall or annihilation or outer darkness there doesnt seem to be any set standard. And also aziraphale still loves god and doing good and to fall would mean to be cut off from all of that to have to go to hell and do the exact opposite. If he can just change things, if he could get the other archangels to see,

Well he hasnt quite discovered that heaven works exactly how its intended to and would need to be torn down before it can be rebuilt into something like aziraphale wishes it to be

Idk i get why its easy to blame aziraphale but. Idk ive been where hes at. Like. Not specifically and angel trying to rewrite heaven but. As a child of religious parents who were also terribly abusive people. I think its unfair that people are saying he should grovel and is wrong and whatever. I dont think crowley would even want that....

Idk im just thinking v hard about good omens its taking over my life. This is probably incomprehensible im just. SAD bc i love both aziraphale and crowley and for aziraphale to be given so much shit when it isnt entirely on him just makes me emotional ok 😔

[bonesandthebees]

Then there’s Niki’s room. And Wilbur continues to be amazed by anything Niki does. And it’s funny because Niki thinks that actual flowers and the wealth are better, whereas all Wilbur cares about is the freedom and the joy of Niki’s painted flowers. The imperfections that make it human rather than the perfectly controlled flowers of his glorified prison.

Then there’s the birds. Wilbur longs to be like the birds. I am loving the bird metaphors. Wilbur not so much. He’d rather not have a bird in his chest. [“I think it’s a nice reminder not to underestimate people,” Niki said, flipping to another page in her sketchbook. “If you push someone too far, even the prettiest songbird could impale you.”] I wonder if that’s a dig at Wilbur’s past murder attempt on Tommy or Niki describing herself.

No way to know cuz Ponk interrupts. And this is another advantage of Tommy not being there. He would have been more protective of Wilbur and probably a little aggressive towards Ponk. Niki has a different personality. While she’s still wary and a little protective, she was probably just trying to avoid more conflict. She’s also willing to push a lot farther than Tommy would have let Wilbur be pushed. I don’t think Tommy would have let Ponk do a check-up. Though that’s probably because Tommy is better at reading Wilbur’s discomfort. (or thinks he is).

And then we get another display of people realising how fuck-up Wilbur is and Wikburnnot getting why they are sad. Like he doesn’f get why he doesn’f get a bottle of pills, not that he wanted them in the first place, but Ponk and Niki very clearly think that Wilbur’s suicidal. While we know that the reason he ‘wanted’ them to kill him is because he knows he couldn’t kill himself. He doesn’t want to die, he just doesn’t really want to live the life he’s living right now. But at this point, he doesn’t want to go back to the palace and his old life either.

Anyway, Niki and Ponk are tag teaming Wilbur into better health through a combination of doing a mild check-up by asking for things step by step or by travelling about the headaches. This includes several more realisations of this dude is not okay such as: what do you mean you have constant headaches and you aren’t taking painkillers and weren’t planning to tell me? What do you mean it’s your entire head? Why is your heart rate so fast? How much anxiety do you have?

Also, gotta love Ponk completely ignoring that Wilbur had a panic attack a few days before and not asking follow-up questions in favour of telling Wilbur he can help of they get more frequent. Overall it’s a very great example that the Deathlings aren’t monsters. They are people with empathy. Also the whole ‘wanting Wilbur dead thing’ gets cleared up, in that no one actually wanted him dead, they where more debating whether or not they had the luxury of keeping him alive. It also shows that Wi, but argeong with that side that wanted to kill him had a lot of lasting “oh fuck” impact.

-🌲

yes I wanted to show the contrast in their attitudes towards the flowers!! niki would love to see real plants and thinks they have to be way better than the imitations she paints on her walls. wilbur is amazed at how free and alive her paintings look, because picture perfect flowers planted in a neat row aren't really alive. not in a proper sense.

the bird metaphors are so fun to write. I'll let you interpret niki's line there how you like.

yeah if tommy was there ponk wouldn't have gotten through the damn doorway. tommy would've kept him far away from wilbur after the 'kill the pythia' debate, but niki is different like you said. part of it is also that while i didnt get a chance to show it, niki and ponk are very good friends. like, she's definitely closer with ponk than she is with sam for example. so she trusts ponk not to do anything and encourages the check up because she knows the pythia hasn't been seen by ponk yet. at least not in an actual doctor-sense.

to be fair when you're debating whether or not to kill a guy and he goes "yeah actually you should kill me it's for the best" you're gonna think he's suicidal too. poor wilbur didn't even pick up on that with the bottle of pills thing. tbh he'd probably be fine with the pills now, though of course niki and ponk don't know that. a week earlier though? yeah you 100% couldn't trust him with those.

poor ponk is just getting more and more concerned for their prisoner as the check up goes on. he took his heart rate and had to stop himself from cursing out loud because of how high it was.

look ponk could tell wilbur wasn't really comfortable with the whole check up as it was, so he had a feeling that the panic attack wasn't something he was going to want to talk about. also, ponk isn't a psychiatrist. he technically has to act as one since he's the closest thing they have, but his specialty is with more standard internal medicine hence why he just decides to focus on the panic attack as a physical symptom.

but yeah the deathlings aren't monsters. the debate definitely fucked with wilbur's head, but no one meant for it to get as blunt and aggressive as it did.

[makahimetenshi]

How i meet your mother and the story of how Arya Maxson was concieved - Chapter 16

Hello I kinda lost the job where I have a lot of free time to write, kinda, I still don’t know, so im actually not writing a lot, just glympses, so im kinda not finishing the entire fic. I still have the ideas fresh in my mind tho

If you are very very very delighted with one fic and want a continuation I didn’t write or post you can donate me at least $5 bucks, most of this fics have next chapters I don’t finish because lack of motivation but hey a $5 is a $5, I see a few reviews and comments that fics that are abandoned months laters receive comments of wanting to know what happens next. Here it is, I finished my handling with you all, enjoy the fic

They keep seeing each other, almost everyday, since he would come at the same hour normally she didnt come down to receive him when he landed with the ventibird at the back of the building where the heliport was, the security guards were kinda amused to his visits so…between his soldiers and hers he can walk around and feel protected in the tower even if he wasn’t exactly welcomed, its not like he does big tours anyway, if he walked on the tower, it was at her side because she was showing him things around.

She was now 3 months and changes were really a thing in this place, really, they even start with the painting in the reception, and they were going fast, much more than he could anticipate, they were in the middle of practically a dessert practically obviously that have to be addressed to its success but it was impressive, really impressive.

He was a bit worried about the caps actually, didn’t want her decapitated because she will ran out of caps and disappoint the tennats expectancys by promising all that big works in their homes, but she never address that subject, didn’t talk about that thing, it was something in the air he notices while walking in that big and luxury building.

Better don’t think about it tho, is she asked, he couldn’t help, he wasn’t rich, the brotherhood wasn’t rich.

When he enter into her apartment the first thing he found was Danse sitting on the divan while Nora was on her knees in front of him.

Fuck not again.

They were fine.

-Paladin –Arthur saluted trying to hide his discomfort, when he approached he see some bandages, cotton, and alcohol at Noras side, his boots were off and the leg of his orange suit was up –what happened?

-A Radroach bite him in the subway tunnels –said Nora with a very upset face, cleaning what it looked like a deep cut.

-I told you it was dangerous to go down there on your own –he sighted tired, always feared for her, and their babys sake of course.

-That’s why I was with her –Danse raised a hand, for some reason he looked annoyed- having her back

-We didn’t realize we were so close to the nest –she picked up a clean cotton and pressed it in the wound.

-Don’t worry elder –said the paladin- im taking a group to burn and incinerate the nest, she stays here in the tower–Nora looked at him with a big face of disapproval but as soon he responded with the same face she became…small…my gosh he had a lot of power over her, power he didn’t have without using violence

-Are you alright? –he asked looking at the wound

-You two are over exaggerating over a cut

-Im not, Radroachs eat shit, better clean the wound so you don’t get a serious infection or some sort of illness –said Nora- the only reason im not needling it is because I want to see the evolution -or because she wanted an excuse to touch and be around him.

-So, why are you here? –ask Arthur not wanting to sound like a possessive jealous asshole but it was a curious question…

-I have no active missions right now and she ask me to be her guard…-yeah, running behind her heels as usual. The fact that she was in love in him was a bit his fault too, for giving her ilusions all the time, he doesn’t pull her apart.

-Danse do you want to stay and have dinner with us? –said Nora getting up and standing at Arthurs side giving him a kiss on the cheek, surprising him a lot, almost making him jump in his place because well…they never do much stuff with public, and less with him, her romantic interest in front of him.

-Does he know? –when he ask that Nora pick one of his hands and place it in her three months belly, he understand- right-but he also noticed Danse disturbed face looking at them- whats up? –what was up with the romantic interest?

Danse was mad, angry, despite what he says of Nora he was very in love with her, deep down at least he wanted her for only him. It was selfish not wanting her to have a serious commitement but also denying himself to her. It was like both wanted but at different levels and he didn’t want her to have nothing with no one else. Neither with him.

-Nothing, its just weird seeing you two together –Nora look at him, and Arthur became jealous- my boss and my sister

-Repeating: do you want to dinner with us?

Danse looked at her annoyed, Nora was smirking.

Arthur was between them.

The paladin was annoyed that she was at another man sides, and she was enjoying his frustration. She was playing.

Danse was very pissed.

-Im fine, ill join the other soldiers at the brotherhood room –she laughed a bit, how evil.

-Why don’t you help them to set up the pool table? I actually don’t know how many men are necessary to assemble such a silly thing.

-Very funny.

The brotherhood room was an apartment she settled in the third floor for brotherhood soldiers passing by the tower, the guards of Arthur and the ventibirds, patrols, guarding caravans, scribes and field researchers…it has a few bulk beds, a fridge, a terminal, a bathroom with a shower and toilet, some wardrobes with mirrors and clean clothes so underwear she selected by color for them to have them discriminated among the tenants, a few crated boxes for each bed, some personal hygiene items like combs or toothbrushes same with scissors and anothers etceteras, fresh aquapura in the fridge they of course refilled and noooooooow a pool table! For everyone to chill and play, that table was in a very poor shape and she asked a carpenter to polish and coat entirely, piece to piece.

Reception now had its own power armor station, yeah, just were everyone can see it, in a corner behind the stairs, but in the reception, so no one would say that the brotherhood soldiers were doing dangerous things with their power armors there and there in the building, nono, they were at simple sight doing brotherhood thing like repairing and maintaining their power armors, simple.

-Try to not leave burns of cigarette butts on it, you know what I have to fight to win that pot of coat in Hardware Town

-That groups of raiders wasn’t really a menace

Oh gosh Arthur didn’t want to be in the middle of them, every time they talk he noticed a strong sexual tension between. It makes him sad. Will he ever achieve this type of connection with her? Ever?

-Im serious ill make it a rule to not fucking smoke in the pool table, if I find some kind of burn ill stop distributing my precious new toothbrush supply

-Oh you turn insufferable sometimes –said Danse tired picking up his boot to fix it and stick his foot inside.

-I suppose you can clean your teeth’s back with the same old newspaper you wipe your ass, two in one, just don’t forget the order –when the man moved down the leg of his orange suit Arthur noticed that she was defying him to fall into her trap.

-You never follow through on your threats –said the man doing the enough to close the boot and the leg, just the enough to be able to walk without his clothing falling apart as he step.

-Shut the fuck up –now Nora pick Arthurs arm and hug it…soooooo he was between them. He was now her object to cause jealousy in the paladin.

This wasn’t right. No, he didn’t want this for himself. He didn’t deserve this.

Now he didn’t felt comfortable

Sometimes he felt like he should leave.

But then his eyes moved down to her growing belly bellow the dress, the belly he saw growing every time they were together and those guilty feelings disappear.

Two months more passed, and one day a radio signal was presented in the elder Maxson office, a scribe informed him that a radio signal asking for help was emitting from Tenpenny Tower specifically medical help. The distress signal was emitted by Paladin Danse. It was strange, help? For Nora? For who? For the people? For how many people? For what kind of medical attention? For only medical supplies?

He sent a ventibird with a medical squad of scribes because the transmitting doesn’t have much information about what was needed and for some reason when the ventibird gave the warning that it was already close to the citadel coming back after 3 hours Arthur came out to the trainyard to see what was all about, what happened?

Danse came down from the ventibird with Nora in his arms almost running to the ring A door, his Nora, the Nora that wears dresses and high heels. Arthur saw for a glimpse of second how a part of her head, legs, and arms were covered in bandages and he freaked out, running to ask the scribes what happened and letting him find the necessary and urgent medical care for the woman.

Apparently there was a rider strike into the tower gates in the morning, they attacked demanding the remaining amount of caps that she announced for renovations 5 months ago, like she said the running caps were really in the place renovations, if the works were taking place the caps will quickly ran out and there will be no attacks or riots to empty the tower funds, but this fuckers came to raid the remaining, whatever whats left even if she never was really really clear about the amounts or accountability of her caps, and as he know personally from her mouth, it was still a lot, more than 70%, there will be a lot of money for a lot of time in the tower, her money was still in the tower and from now, it was a target for raiders, now there were going to be attacks to raid one of the most wealthy points of DC, right now the Tenpenny Tower was like a big bank, a bank that in some place, hidden, saves caps, enough caps to do real works and repairing over a 300 years old tower to give their old pre war glory back, the voice of luxury run along wastelanders apparently.

So now the mother of his children was living in a at a point that would be constantly attacked for very valid reasons and known and expanded among the wastelands.

-What happened to the raiders? –ask Arthur, there was also a few people badly hurt in the ventibird too.

-As far we know, all the raiders, dead, but we arrived there and get the hurt people on the ventibird as fast we could –said a scribe packing down their stuff to make more space.

-You should ask Paladin Danse, Elder-said another one, also making space to move down the ventibird the hurt people- they waited until there wasn’t brotherhood soldiers staying in the tower, so as far he explained to us it was him, the sentinel, and the guards.

-It was a big attack –said Arthur surprised that three of her guards were badly hurt inside the ventibird even.

-Coordinated apparently –one of the scribes pick up a guard in his shoulders and the man do his best to stand up and walk to go down the ventibird.

-They did a good job keeping them out and out of the doors–said one of the scribe also picking another guard in his shoulders, the man squeak in pain but also get on her toes to stand up

-So what happened? –asked Maxson, but then a guard talk while being helped to stand up in the gurney.

-Nothing serious, collateral damaged, most of us are fine –well fine say the brute with a very big hole in the thigh, bleeding dark- that paladin of yours insisted in radio when the doc of the tower had too much between hands

-I bet that if you all can’t wait it wasn’t nothing serious –said Arthur with a very despicable tone, gosh how difficult these people are to stand.

-As far I threated her she has a severe blow to the head and some nasty burns on the leg, only scratches on arm –another scribe talk- I told Paladin Danse to take her quickly to do an exam…after all she is very pregnant and apparently it was a rough fight.

-It was but because no one stick a dick in my ass no one cares that much about us

Something trigger bad inside Arthurs mind and without a dub he pulled out a laser pistol from the waist of the scribe who was helping him to move and shoot the guard in the other leg, so he can match the holes. The man scream and Arthur throw the pistol to his face, smashing his nose in pain.

-Don’t worry I bet you can also get your ass broken even without trying -said the elder with a sarcastic smile, then, look at his own scribe and kindly smiled at her trying to change the mood- Is the blow on the head very serious? it is urgent to treat?

The scribe swallowed hard and looked away, holding the guard who was still shaking from the pain of the laser burn in her arms, holding him so he wouldn't fall, it was especially difficult because the elder shot him in the leg and she wasn’t going to say anything to the elder about who to shoot or not - I'm more worried about her pregnancy, but I don't know how physical the fight went, we weren't there

-Alright, make sure to attend this gentlemen’s over here –said Arthur before spitting in the ground, the three guards slurped saliva and two looked bad at the one who talked shit- and then make them wait at the outsides of the citadel for a caravan to pick them, no ride

When he turned around to start walking to ring A he heard the mates of that man cursing at the insolent fucker because he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut and not cause problems.

Have fun walking in the desert, asshole.

Nora was sitting in a gurney when he found her in the medical care, Danse was standing next to a wall while a scribe was opening the bandage in her leg. Arthur didn’t care and enter anyway, she didn’t look good.

-Arthur –she called noticing his presence at the door frame, the man sighted and walk inside, she raised her hand and he pick it, looking at the scribe work.

-Are you alright? –she nodded-mind telling me anything?

-Just raiders doing their thing

-Not talented enough tho –said Danse smiling a bit to ease her

-Came a big group of assholes demanding the Tenpenny fortune –he laughed a bit, it wasn’t exactly Allistar fortune- that if we didn’t open the gates they were going to tear it apart from the outside and that’s where I get worried, Gustavo shoot a bitch in the leg and that's when it all started –Arthur pressed on her fingers, worried.

-They weren’t able to cross the gates -said Danse

-You did a good job tho –Nora smiled at Danse- shooting first the ones with backpacks

-I learn from the best –the way both smile at each other made Arthur uncomfortable- You did it great with that Hunting rifle too

Danse loved how capable and high skilled she was, he knew that since the paladin presented her to him in the Commonwealth, had a thing that drive him automatically to sponsorship her without a doubt

-So how did you get that burn? –ask Arthur

-A fucker throws a Pulse grenade, surely they didn’t know for what it was, it doesn’t make much damage but the electricity burns the skin so bad –the scribe showed him how damaged and red the skin was, making little cuts even- I was away enough to save the face

-Your pretty face –said Arthur with a smile making her blush, the scribe was present…

-I regret a bit not using pants –she say trying to diffuse the shame in her face a bit, not used to him being affectionate in public- next attack im going to change fast –next attack hu?

-Its your head okay?

-Im not feeling well actually

-We are doing tests now-said the scribe to Arthur- to see how deep the blow is or if it caused any bruising, the same with pregnancy to check that there is no problem, after all in a fight things can get very tense especially after receiving blows-the elder felt trough her hand how her body shiver at the mention of her pregnancy.

-Did you engage any fight? –said Arthur to Nora

-No, I avoided them all of course–she pressed more on his hand at saying that looking for support, it really affects her thinking in the well being of their child. The scribe gets up to check on her other arm and take off the bandage.

-Its true, she was participating from the distance –said Danse-but there was a lot of things flying around

-And explosions –she clarified- a rock hit me very hard for one moment, I almost see black but I keep shooting and shooting until that fuckers went down.

-Alright we can talk about that later if you don’t feel good right now–Arthur looked at her and smiled to reassure her, which it worked because she smirked a bit- we are going to take those test and –their eyes connected in that moment light blue and brown- I have a surprise for you –Danse raised an eyebrow curious and suspicious, what was that- a few months ago I order a transvaginal ultrasound machine –her eyes bright more than he ever saw in her in his life- and now you are 20 weeks it arrived here at the citadel –Nora almost squeak of joy and that was so strange to watch for the three people around in the room, jumping on her sit.

Never see her so happy.

-I cant believe it, are we going to know the baby sex!? I didn’t know that was possible! –all worries she had about the state of her pregnancy disappeared, she felt awful since the moment that grenade caught her leg but right now everything surely must go just fine! They were meeting their baby! This was a happy moment!

-Or more importantly, its status –the way she smiled make him happy, it sparked something inside him, joy- We are checking on your head, an ultrasound and then prepare yourself for the transvaginal okay? –she nodded, and tried to stretch a bit to kiss him in the cheek, but she couldn’t for being sitting, he noticed and moved down, Nora appreciated this and kissed him in the lips as a reward.

While Danse had never see her this happy before, well, maybe one time.

The first time they sleep together. When she was still excited thinking he had feelings for her.

-I really need to keep working in her wounds over here –said the scribe a bit uncomfortable by the couple display, not because they were being cheesy or anything but because they were the elder and the…sentinel…it was strange to see! Didn’t expect it from him at all, the man always had such a strange port…

-Yeah –said Arthur sitting in the gurney alongside Nora looking at Danse, placing a hand in her waist making her jump–we need some space here Danse, can you come back later?

The paladin rolled his eyes, of course, the man moves from the wall but when he was about to cross the doorframe…

-Thank you for having my back Danse –she said smiling. Was aware of Arthur pushing him out from the conversation but right now she can’t care, she had something more important in mind. Something he never wanted to take part of.

-Always, sister –hearing that legitimaly delete Arthur smile from his face even if the paladin wasn’t replying happy or neither content with the situation, more tired and defeated than everything. A question appeared on his mind: what was Danse doing at Noras place?

Nora’s wounds were treated with cold ice patches and disinfectant, yes she had some head damage for which she needed rest and check-ups for a while, but it would go away, it was not too serious nor would it cause any kind of impediment if she took the necessary rest and care, if she really take it.

After she was told that he decided to calm her down and stay at her side like a gentleman until the time of the ultrasound and after of course. The pregnancy was fine, the baby was just fine, nothing different from the last time they do an ultrasound except for the natural growing of this weeks, her heart rest in her chest finally when they hear that result and fuck she needed it, she felt so bad for deciding to be involved in stopping that piles of scum invading the tower instead of letting her guards work and secure herself in her apartment, if something had happen to her baby…

She will fight for that baby that’s for sure but better nothing happens to it while she can breathe and move.

And even if she cant move she will tear the earth apart to find the culprit, as she did before with Shaun and the Institute.

When the transvaginal was ready Arthur took her hand and smiled to ease her even hiding his own exciment to not disturb her, maybe now it wasn’t the right time, she was injured and with a severe blow to the head but she apparently needed it even more than him, she wanted to have this results as soon as possible, wanted to see their baby moving. Even though her head hurt and was about to explode, she wanted to see her baby, she really wanted to see him before she could go to sleep and rest.

It took them more than half an hour to get the perfect image, half an hour where his hand was squeezed and pressed hard as they couldn't find the baby until they finally found it.

-Thank god finally –said the scribe who had the honor to meet first the elders firstborn in this exam today.

-The motherfucker was well hidden –said Nora recovering her breath laughing at her own joke, at the 15 minute it stopped being funny and it became disturbing, her heart come back to her chest again.

-I don’t think motherfucker is appropriate –said the scribe moving the image better, zooming out and changing lights on the machine- it’s a girl

Nora laughed happily, almost screaming with excitement, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much and the apples on her cheeks were stiff and red. She tried not to move so as not to lose the image that they had worked so hard to achieve but she was so happy, really so happy, she had wanted for almost 12 years to live this again. Her dream was finally coming true, this was perfect, their child was perfect.

The wound on her head hurt, forehead hurt as keeping his eyes open, smiling caused her burning but she still needed to be present at that moment with Arthur and the baby girl.

-I choose a name for her –she said with her eyes lost in the screen, knowing exactly where to look at as this wasn’t her first pregnancy to go through, looking at her little girl in the view she imagined so well in her dreams and desires- I want to call her Arya -her hand pressed hard against his again, trying to hold on to reality somehow- It’s a mix of our names, Arthur and Nora

-We can save this images in a video and photos to record the evolution –said the scribe actually surprised for how happy the parents were, especially elder Maxson, didn’t imagine him so excited about being a parent. He was such a serious man since a young age, it wasn’t common to see happy expecting parents in the wastelands neither that’s the true- Im going to start recording now its moving, before it wasn’t moving at all so it was hard to distinguish!

-Yeah that sounds amazing –said Nora with a fulfilling sensation on her chest, she really accomplished something great right now. She has a daughter now. Her little Arya –do you like it? –she said pulling him by the hand to make him pay attention, but his eyes couldn't leave the screen, and when she noticed that Arthur wasn't responding, she turned with all the pain in the world to see him.

He was crying, he was crying with a smile on his lips, a really big smile, a smile she never see before on him in all the years she knows him. And that's when she regretted never given him enough attention, of having missed that smile of his until now, why had she missed that smile? Why hadn't she done enough to cause it? It was a beautiful smile, it brighten the room and elevates the mood that couldn’t possibly go more high.

-You mean Arya? –Nora nodded at him with a smile while he put a hand on top of both of them together- I like it, Arya Maxson sounds great.

Despite they never actually discuss the name subject he thinks it fits perfectly, Arya Maxson taste good in the tip of his tongue to talk even, he cant find anything negative to talk right now anyway, it was perfect, everything was perfect about his little girl

And Nora finally had what she planned, a child with the Maxson lastname.

Arthur kissed Nora in the cheek without his eyes leaving the screen. Neither loosing his smile

[violetnotez]

HC: Seeing Them Shirtless for the First Time | JJK

Should I be getting ready for work? Yes, yes I should be 💀

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ:

Music Genre: Rock | JJK

Characters: Gojo, Itadori, Megumi 

Warnings: cursing, suggestive content

Music Collection | Tip Jar | Requests!

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Shop Owner Note: MINORS DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS ONE-Gojos in particularrrrrr

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The first time you saw Gojo shirtless was during your first time being intimate with him.

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Gojo was just-perfect. You honestly couldn’t describe him any other way...yeah, he could sometimes be a pain in your ass with his boyish antics, but that somehow adds to that special charm he possesses. Even now, with his hands pinning yours above your head, lips molding into yours in a lustful heat, he was smiling as if he was having the time of his life. Gojo moved down from your lips, finally allowing you a second to breathe, instantly finding a spot on your neck, sucking and licking the skin as if his life depended on it. The sensation was overriding your system, your throat desperately trying to release a groan from the overwhelming sensation, intense heat traveling through your core. You felt him find the spot you were most sensitive in, that held back groan finally being stolen from your swollen lips. Embarrassment burst into your stomach, your knuckles tightening as you shifted to to the side, desperately trying to hide your face from making such a lewd reaction.

You felt Gojo chuckle against your skin, the vibration sending a shock wave throughout your spine and limbs. “Ah, Cmon doll, don’t be so shy,” he cooed, a devilish smirk encasing his features, “I like it when you make those little sounds for me.........and only me, right?” It was a taunt, a trap, and he knew it-if Gojo Satoru was anything, he was always confident in his abilities. And his ability to completely be able to control you, to keep you by his side, was no exception. Any other day, when you were thinking clearly you would Probabaly retort back with a back handed quip that would make him chuckle. But right now, with your head buzzing with adrenaline and only the thought of the way his skin felt against yours, his kisses burning into your flesh and the pulsating heat in your core...you just wanted him.

“Only you,” you whispered, voice wavering with nerves and adrenaline as your digits found the edge of his shirt, craving for more of his skin against yours. Gojo chuckled again, the sound warm and rich like molasses. Yet, his hand since again were on top of yours, now halting you in your pursuit of undressing him. “You really wanna do this doll? I’m not against it, not at all, but you dont have to-“

“I want to,” you interjected, face flushed with desperation, eyes wide with lust, “I want to so badly Gojo...I want you.” Gojo’s chest tightened at the words, a feral need exploding in his chest-god, the times he dreamed of this day and it’s finally happening...you were just too adorable, your hair tosseled from the heated make out sessions, lips puffy and skin so warm, your eyes practically begging him to devour you. How could he deny you that luxury, especially since you wanted it so much? He leaned in to your lips, digits tracing your skin in designs only he could imagine. He pulled away, mere centimeters from your skin. “You sure little one?” He asked again, using the nickname he gave you that always made you roll your eyes with a smile. It did just the trick, making you giggle at the name as you looked to the side-“I’ve always been ready, ya know.”

“Oh really?” He teased, that delicious smirk gracing his features. He leaned away from you, sitting up in the bed. “Well, I’m not too sure about that....” His digits wrapped around the hem of his shirt near his neck, pulling the fabric over his head and tossing it to the corner of his room. Gojo shook his hair out slightly, making the tendrils look even more chaotic than before. You felt your chest tighten by the sight of Gojo shirtless....you had imagined many times before, but seeing the real thing was way different, and way better. Gojo was built as perfectly as his personality, each muscle taught and visible in his abdomen and arms, the veins in his hand even more noticeable in the lighting. You gulped, staring at the way his sweatpants accentuated the dips of his hips, following down to the waist band of his boxers peaking out from his sweats.

Gojo noticed every gesture you made, loving how you drank in his form as he hovered over you. “Why don’t you take a picture-itll last longer,” he said as he leaned into your ear, earning a playful eye roll form you. He chuckled at your reaction, leaning back into your body, hands trailing the side of your waist. “Well if you’re not gonna take a picture....I don’t think it’s very fair that I’m the only one shirtless here....” your felt his digits find the hem of your shirt, teasingly tracing your skin under from underneath..

“So how about we change that, hm?”

The first time you saw Itadori shirtless it was by pure chance- He just cant seem to remember to bring a spare tshirt into the bathroom when he showers.

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Yuuji cant seem to understand why your so flustered- he is so adorable and innocently oblivious its almost painful. Especially when he comes out of the bathroom from a shower, cotton candy pink hair still dripping with water droplets, slick adomen in full view, the “V” of his hip bones partially exposed from the band of his sweatpants. You just wanted to have a chill movie night with your boyfriend-but how can you think about choosing between a horror or a comedy when you have that in front of you? You gulp down a ball of saliva as Itadori casually talked about the different options of films, rummaging through his drawers for a clean shirt as if this was all a normal event-which it was not. Your eyes were glued onto him, drinking in every deifned dip and curve and trying to hold yourself back from thinking about...other ways this cozy date could end up....

But Yuuji knows you like the back of his hand....he knows when something is wrong with you, and you most deinfitely are not your self right now. He instantly begins to ask you questions, voice softly laced with worry. You reassure him your fine, really, but Itadori knows you way too well. He gently raises your chin with his pointer and middle finger, forcing you to look into his eyes. Your breathe gets hitched in your throat, brain suddenly and unbelievebaly clouded from being so so close to him, now knowing that the boyfriend you love so dearly looks like a damn god under his clothing making your heart ram against your chest. His voice was comforting and warm, eyes scanning your face for any sign of sadness or even maybe sickness. 

“Whats on your mind?” he asks gently, trying to coax a response out of you so he can put his worries at ease....until he hears the words “your abs”, blurt out of your mouth at warp speed, your tone dazed and then immediately embarrassed, horror on your face for saying soemthing so honest. He blinks a few times, clearly not expecting that to come from you....but he would be lying if he didnt say he enjoyed it once it set in. A warm chuckle tumbles out of Itadori, that bright boyish grin plastered on his face. He really didnt mean to make you so flustered,..but he’s not complaining

The first time you saw Megumi shirtless was by force-he just hates being taken care of when he’s hurt.

Crimson red clumped against Megumi’s face, sticky and smeared glimpses of his pale skin glowing under the moonlight. His hair was matted down to his face from the slashes oozing out of his head, suit was slashed to bits, his ribs were killing him, and he had a limp on his left leg...but he was fine-honestly. Or that’s what he was trying to tell you...but you wouldn’t listen to a single second of the bull crap he was trying feed you. He was conflicted with emotions-on one hand, it almost annoyed him how utterly selfless you could be for him. It was 1am, the moon on its highest peak in the sky, and you were willing to play nurse for him....but on the other, it warmed him up inside that you did care so much. If he would allow himself to dwell on that emotion, he would admit-that it was .... nice....to have someone take care of him for once. He was used to bandaging each wound on his own, cleaning and disinfecting the soon to be battle scars, hissing to the walls at the pain it caused him. But with you there, you were soft, so gentle with him. Your touch was like a second adrenaline rush for him-you had yourself cradled in his lap, the skin of your thighs barely crazing his tattered uniform. Hands gently positioning his hair, pushing the wispy jet black strands away from the wounds.

“I can do this on my own,” he retorted quietly, his voice a few octaves lower from fatigue. “I bet you could..” you completely ignored him, continuing to busy yourself with closing a scrape on his skin with butterfly bandages. “-but why would I let you?” Megumi felt his breath hitch, taking a sharp breath in....any type of annoyance he felt with you being so god damn persistent instantly left his body, the only thing he can focus on was how much he loved your selfless nature-even if it could be annoying at times. But the instant he took in that deep breath, he felt a deep, guttural pain in his side, making him groan before he could stop it from spilling out of his mouth. That soft gaze you had turned to worry, your hands wrapping around his face, thumbs running smooth circles on his pale skin. “Your hurt....we’re going to need to-“

“N-no, I-“Megumi stuttered out, obviously flustered by the prospect of you seeing him so bare. “I-I’m fine. I can do this on my-“ his voice was stern and cold, yet the wavering tone made any attempt of sounding firm go invalid. You gave him a small smile, your fingers still running circles against his skin, making him look at you with nervous eyes. “Megumi, you are not fine,” you stated calmly, with eyes that simply said the opposite-you were genuinely worried for him. “please...you could have broken a rib, or done soemthing to cause a lot of damage...please, Megumi, I don’t want you to be in pain anymore.” You were asking him, pleading with him, and it broke Megumi in his core-he just couldn’t stand to see you look that scared for him of all people. Megumi sighed, eyes drifting down to the floor in hopes you couldn’t see his embarrassment as he gave in to you.

You helped Megumi shuffle out of his uniform, opting to cut it with some scissors halfway (as it was tattered to shreds already). Both of you were quite nervous...in your relationship, you had never down anything that would warrant for you to see each other’s body’s. So you being able to see him without a shirt felt like a huge step, even if it wasn’t such a big deal to an outsider. Once the fabric was finally off, you both sat in silence, your minds reeling. You knew Megumi was fit, but seeing exactly how much that work paid off brought heat flooding your body, your eyes focused on the way his breath contracted and relaxed his muscles, the moonlight catching the divots of his lower abdomen deliciously. Pale white Scars littered his skin from training, making his body even more mysterious to look at. Each scar was a story, some sort of battle, a lesson he had to learn...you wanted to learn about each and every one. Your hand felt drawn to them, digits slowly checking for signs of bruising, purposefully tracing those scars in order to burn them to memory. Fushigori was practically panicking, desperately trying to keep his heartrate lowered, the cool night air biting at his heated skin as your digits traced against his sides. You were only trying to detect the spots that could be damaged on his abdomen...but damn was it firing something inside him. He was feeling more comfortable like this, just relishing the feeling of your skin on his.

© Violetnote 2020

None of these characters or shows are my own, only the storylines and narratives I create are mine. Copying, stealing, plagiarizing, rewording, or using my storylines in other media, claiming to be your own, or reposting without my consent is not allowed.

[m-aster-of-spinjitzu]

to see; to be seen

hiya there @fangirltakesall! i was your secret santa:D for the @ninjagosecretsanta2021 - i really hope that you enjoy reading this! and i hope that you have a great christmas and an awesome festive season:D

i hope that this was queued right? timezones are weird xD

you asked for hurt/comfort, the main girl trio, and characters realising that their lives have changed and deciding what to do about it.

i give you,,, pix and nya, after the last episode of s8.

(i tried to include skylor, so many times, but my brain said 'no<3' - i'm so sorry! ik you said trio, it's literally been keeping me up at night but the words didn't wanna cooperate:/. ahh i'm really sorry).

trigger warnings: mentions/a short flashback of pix's body being smashed in s4, grief and all the stuff that comes w/ it, implied self harm (not much but just mentioning to be safe)

word count: 7 026

also - it warrants a mention that you can stop reading at the '---' mark, but there's a bit of an,, epilogue at the end, from misako's pov. i needed someone who'd had experience with that kind of thing to talk to pix about it, so comes in her character, but ik a lot of the fandom doesn't like her - which is fine! if so, just stop reading at the '---' mark:D

and- oh gosh this A/N is so long, but:

lloyd's not sleeping he's concussed (to explain why he fell asleep to quickly), pix was locking her emotions away w/ code when she was talking to nya (hence why she was so calm and didn't think of the others often), the ice is nice thing is a line from the movie, and the dorris day one is the line from the movie bloopers (on yt). the ninja went to go watch a movie that darreth let a bunch of people make (tlnm), so that's how they know abt it. misako had friends in college who went through similar things (referring to her characterisation in the 'epilogue'), so that's why she kept thinking not again, because she didnt want to see anyone else hurt like that. also nya kept tracing a star on her hand, kai used to do that w/ her when she was little, whenever she was scared (for some context/explanation).

anyyyways, here's the fic!:D i've never done a secret Santa before i hope it turned out okay-

It's cold.

It's freezing cold.

It's the kind of cold that you can't seem to get rid of, no matter how many times you bundle on more layers, or toss and turn, trying to fall asleep.

The warehouse - one that they've used to store their mechs in the past - obviously doesn't come with separate rooms, like the monastery or the-

She squeezes her eyes shut - as if that simple motion will block out the memory that plays behind them.

"Nya- Nya, I'm so sorry-"

Her brother's hysterical voice echoes in the alleyway that they'd just stepped into, after mooring the boat they'd managed to scrounge up last-minute. She's kinda preoccupied with trying to check if any of the Sons of Garmadon have somehow followed them, but - well, Lloyd usually never lets these chaotic situations get to him. She doesn't want to think about why it's affecting him so much this time round - that the girl she'd told him to be himself around had never afforded him the same luxury.

"What happened?" she asks, her voice coming off more accusatory than she'd intended. Adrenaline and fear are never a good combination - but, gosh, this time they had been taken completely by surprise. "Where's everyone else? Why is-"

She cuts herself off, moving quietly through the back streets. Questions can come later, once they've gotten Lloyd to the safe house. Even though they were outnumbered way more than they'd thought, she’s not letting those stupid shark-faced bikers take him again.

Her brother follows behind, a hand on her shoulder. The rest of their friends must've hopped off the Bounty, she thinks to herself. Where could they all be now, though? Pixal had mentioned an old warehouse that she uses to store the Samurai X Mech in - another whole other thing that she really wasn’t gonna get into right now-

Lloyd winces, drawing in a breath sharply. His other hand is pressing on his chest, and the motion causes a pang of guilt to shoot through hers.

He was too drained and tired to fight-

How could we-

Why did we let him go in alone-

They're moving so quickly through the dark streets that she- she almost doesn't even hear him at first. Doesn't hear him struggling with how to give her the words that will shatter her world into tiny pieces - and then drive them through her heart.

"They're- they're-"

He keeps muttering to himself, clutching at his hair hysterically. She wants nothing more than to sit down with him, help pick up the pieces from where H- that monster had dropped them, and- gosh, tend to his injuries because he'd practically died today and doesn't even seem to be the slightest bit rattled.

She rubs her temples in exasperation. Of course, her brother wouldn't even give himself some self-care after practically freaking dying-

Well, she reflects, it's not like all of her brothers and her boyfriend don't share that mindset too. Stupid boys with no self-preservation instincts.

Once this whole mess with the Sons of Garmadon was over, they were definitely going to an arcade or something - even if she had to drag the five of them there.

Misako and Pixal had taken a different route earlier - a rather unnecessarily complicated one, but the aim was to confuse any members of that annoying biker gang who might be following them.

And although she was definitely capable of protecting Lloyd from any- of them; anyone who thought that they could outsmart her, she didn't have a lot of faith in their duo at the moment.

One of them practically on the verge of death, one of them exhausted to the point of considering just lying down on the street and sobbing hysterically? Great.

"Lloyd," she whispers, cursing the stupid streetlights that never seemed to work (why were the streets so freaking dark? What if they missed the inevitable ambush? What if-), "you okay?"

"Y- yeah," comes the shaky reply, Lloyd's voice at least an octave higher. He convinces neither of them.

Glancing furtively behind her, she realizes that his puffy eyes are coated in dull red, streaked against the white like raindrops running down a windowpane. Breathing in a series of what sounds like short gasps - sounds all wrong, she registers belatedly - he keeps running his hands through his hair in a sort of frenzied way that's so unlike her little brother-

She swallows, wanting nothing more than to find this lying, manipulative princess, and give a piece of her mind. How dare she- w- why-

"Once we get to the warehouse, we're gonna take care of our injuries, you're gonna tell me whatever you're comfy with, and then you're going to sleep. Not a request, lil' bro," she whispers shakily, turning around to squeeze his hand.

"I'm... I'm older than you," he replies, a weary tapestry of frayed threads. "Listen," he adds, voice too high again, "there's something-"

Then he takes a deep, shuddering breath, and covers his face - as if that can hide the agonized sobs tearing their way of it.

Nya rubs her arms, suddenly freezing cold.

It's not cold outside.

Lloyd-Lloyd never cries.

Never.

Not when he was trapped in an exploding volcano on the verge of an excruciating death - probably terrified as heck. Not when he faced his father on the opposite side of the battlefield, time and time again, not when he had to fight the freaking Overlord, not at Zane's funeral - when the snow falling lightly from the sky had felt far too wrong for such a sombre moment.

Not when his power was literally stolen from his heart, not when he watched his father disappear into a realm of no return - just when they'd started to fight on the same side. Not even when his uncle had vanished into the timestream, leaving behind a grieving nephew and the pieces of a half-broken team. Never.

She swallows a bout of nausea, her hands clutched together hard enough to hurt.

"I'm sure that you have nothing to be sorry for," she says firmly. "Once I give that loser princess a piece of my mind-"

"I- don't- you don't understand!" Lloyd replies hysterically. "She- she-" he breaks off, and Nya unsuccessfully strains to hear the rest of his sentence.

"Hey," she starts, swallowing. What was she even supposed to say in this situation? This was even worse than most of her nightmares - and she died in those, so that's saying something.

As much as Nya wants nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and never, ever let go, she’ll have to settle for gently rubbing his head, frowning as turns into the next street.

The Sons of Garmadon couldn't be far behind.

This time, she'd be better prepared.

She had to be.

"I would advice caution-"

Pixal breaks off as her friend throws another punch, their grey eyes steely with determination.

The plank of wood breaks in half and a couple more shards join the mess on the floor.

Nya wipes her brow, chest heaving as she reaches over for another plank.

"I would advise caution in that... endeavour," Pixal starts, a little louder. When her words ring out in the cold metal of the warehouse yet again, she puts a hand on her teammate's shoulder in what she hopes is a comforting gesture.

Nya's head whips around in surprise, eyes wide and plank raised - but she visibly deflates when she realizes that it's not an intruder. Pixal ignores the pang that shoots through her chest - both of them have been deeply affected by the loss of their friends, family, but Nya refuses to acknowledge that there was anything wrong, other than the Sons of Garmadon - who were currently terrorizing the city.

Well, she knew that that was a normal response to loss - she just hated feeling powerless. After- after Chen-

Almost involuntarily, her mind runs through a well-worn sequence of code. The memory dulls, fading to a blur of colours and too-bright light. It should be… instantaneous, she remembers thinking as she’d programmed the instructions.

She'd never really tried to program herself in that way before - to lock away bits of her code when each piece of it was supposedly vital.

Nya could probably help, she remembers thinking. Or her father. Or Zane. Anyone, really. Anyone who wasn't hiding away memories that they didn't quite know what to do with, messing with code that they didn't quite know how to fix.

Not quite sure if it could be fixed.

Pixal taps her fingers on her other hand irritably, sighing even as her processors all speed up as they did when she was faced with a threat.

Why did that one memory keep breaking through her carefully constructed code? She could, of course, calculate it out of existence - but wasting a piece of information just because a glitch lurked within her own mechanics? Endeavouring to fix it first... seemed like the most logical option…

Right?

"You should go to sleep," she says, slowly. "I do not mind patrolling the whole night - especially since I have m- the suit."

"Thanks, Pixal," comes the hesitant, weary reply. "But I think I'll stick with this - we've all gotta stay in shape, you know?"

Her mind runs through a dozen or so scenarios - to press the issue or ignore it?

"Nya," Pixal starts quietly, "we have all lost someone. You-"

"Yeah, I know!" Nya exclaims, eyes narrowed in anger. "Don't worry, I won't let you guys down again. I mean- I've been through worse," she spits, a brittle laugh punctuating the confession.

“Stupid djin,” she mutters to herself as she pulls her ponytail tighter - tight enough to hurt.

"FSM, Lloyd's the only family I've got left! If you think I'm going to let anyone take him from me again? You're sorely mistaken."

Something unfamiliar burrows its way into Pixal's chest - a heavy, dull sort of ache. Her eyes widen a little, but she decides that she does not quite like the... the- feeling. Perhaps more coding at a later stage could rid her of the virus, she supposes.

I know that it is not quite a virus, she thinks to herself wearily. But she is right not to consider me a part of their team. I only offer them technological aid, not assistance with matters of the heart.

Although I do so wish to do. Or at least... try to do so, difficult as it may be.

But she still feels a pang of sorrow for Nya, who had lost so many. Yet the other's anger stings - even though she knows that it is a common response to loss. A necessary one, arguably.

"Nya, listen. Please," she replies gently, placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "None of us think that you have let us down in any way. I was just going to mention that... that none of us think that you should not grieve, either."

"Grieve?" The other girl questions, practically aghast. She then puts a hand over her mouth as if she is trying to muffle her stilted laugher.

Pixal notices that the hand is trembling, shaking like the leaves in Ninjago City Park in the wintertime - yet Nya seems unaware of her own distress. She decides not to comment on it yet.

"Yeah, of course," Nya sighs, her arms shaking as she gestures wildly. "Gimme a second to go and ask the princess if she can stop attacking our city!”

The Water Ninja's words are punctuated with sobs, but she stubbornly ignores the tears dripping down her chin.

"Oh, and while she's at it, maybe she can bring the rest of us back from the dead! Doesn't she have all the Oni Masks?"

"I- I..." Pixal cuts herself off, realizing a second too late that she should not voice a legitimate answer to her teammate's question.

I would assume that the Oni Masks only seem to have the power to resurrect Oni, she doesn't say.

"What do you want me to do?" she asks instead - trying to sound genuine instead of judgmental.

If the surprised expression on the other girl's face is anything to go by, her eyebrows raised a few centimetres, she isn’t quite sure if she’s succeeded or not.

"What do you mean?" Nya asks, so quietly that Pixal has to reboot one of her old lip-reading programs from her stint at Borg Industries to make out the words. Her father had always tried to centre his programs around being more inclusive of those who were disadvantaged by their society’s unfortunate default, usually an exclusive one. A smile twitches at the corners of her mouth, tinged with a bit of melancholy.

“I mean…” she grapples for an answer, scenarios whirling through her head. “I mean that… I do not quite know what to do to help you.”

A silent nod. Caution and curiosity sparking in their eyes.

“I- I wish to try and help both of you,” she continues. “Losing Zane so soon after we had met was… not easy. I-“

“Gosh. Why does everyone always think I’m the weak one-“ she cuts herself off.

Her own anger bristles, just a little. Pixal frowns but elects to ignore it.

“Yeah, that… couldn’t have been easy. I’m sorry,” Nya adds, features softening. “You were saying?"

What was she trying to say?

The words do not come easily as they usually do, held back by a realization that is becoming all too familiar.

She just- she just doesn't know what to do!

Over the last few years, it had been easy to fall into a rhythm of questions and answers. Never daring to ask the former. Always supplying the latter.

She lacked the efficiency of Zane's old power source, of course - his father must have been a technological genius, she remembered musing when Zane had walked into Borg Industries for the first time. And she remembered wondering, too - why had he created an android so similar to humans? They would never be humans - they weren't meant to be! They could never feel emotion or contact the same way. Why try, then?

Well. The two of them had discussed this - feeling something was better than feeling nothing. The positive emotions were worth the negative ones. Humanity gave them a unique outlook on life (as opposed to other Nindroids, she supposed).

Thousands of logical reasons start to pile up. Trip over each other. Hum incessantly through her code - beckon her towards factual explanations so easily determined long ago.

Her hands curl into fists. Her arms shake.

Perhaps emotions enhanced their lives or brought valuable insight to situations painted in shades of grey, perhaps-

When she's not so overwhelmed - not so wrapped in anger, tight, hiding her eyes from the stars, she can deal with perhaps. Then, she can believe the logic that sings through every fibre of her being. Then, the puzzle pieces will click back into place without a hitch. Then-

Now is not then, she chides, and never will it be.

Emotions, they had their place - this she knew.

Y-yet...

Yet, as sobs ricochet through an empty warehouse, as a boy lies curled up in a corner - with a certain stiffness that could be attributed to injury, if not for the spiderwebs of red threaded through his eyes - as a family is ripped apart from the seams, thread cut so quickly that they can barely blink as the ground crumbles away, Pixal has never despised emotions quite so much.

"Is it empathy or acknowledgment? Or understanding? Or reassurance?" Pixal mutters, scenarios playing cautiously behind her eyes.

What does her friend need? she wonders, head spinning. What does she need, herself?

She runs the simulations. She observes. She learns; learns that-

She is clueless in each one.

"Why do you- you care?" Nya hisses, low and quiet, startling her from her thoughts. "I don't want any of this! Unless you can reverse the past, I don't think you can- fix me."

The last two words are laced with contempt, pooling like venom.

"I'm not trying to- to fix you," she replies, a bit curtly. Though she hates to admit it - hates to be anything less than the role model to the kids who'd yell "I wanna be just like you!" to a retreating figure, swords strapped to their back as their lips curved into a rueful smile - she's... irked.

Irked by the fact that humans are so- so, well, human!

Why were they unable to lock their emotions away like the two of them could? Why would their creator want them to be hurt by their own minds? Why would it ever be useful for them to hinder their own abilities? To hinder their ability to save others - and themselves?

Everything is not designed with optimal logic in mind, a small voice at the back of her mind points out.

"When have I ever given you that impression? Aren't friends supposed to help each other in times of need?"

"I don't need-"

"I know, that's not what I..." Pixal trails off. Her eyes flick towards the little - a twinge blossoms in her chest at the word (he's too young for this, she thinks, not for the first time today, not for the first time this year-) - green bundle curled up on the floor. She notes that his chest is slowly rising and falling, the bandage she'd wrapped around his arm unraveling a little, white trailing onto metal floor. And his face-

He looks serious, even while asleep, she realises sadly.

"Look," she whispers, gesturing to Lloyd, "do you want to go outside?" I do not want to wake him up.

Nya's eyes soften as she glances behind her. "Won't that just make us a bigger target?" Weary sarcasm bleeds its way into her voice.

"Possibly," she admits, chiding herself. It's not like me to be so illogical.

So she walks over to the furtherest corner of the warehouse - slowly, so that her feet don't clank on the floor; metal on metal. A bit of an oversight, she notes crossly.

Then-

Why is she cross? It's not something irreversible, and it pales in comparison to the number of feats she is able to accomplish with her skill set.

Nya leans back against the wall, one of her hands tracing something on the other. Back and forth, a finger moving across her palm - almost subconsciously.

"I apologise-"

"I'm really sorry-"

They stare at each other for a moment.

"You can go first-" Pixal says.

"No, you-" Nya says simultaneously, gesturing wildly.

Two beats of silence this time - a bit too long. A bit too uncomfortable; dredging up a bit too much.

"An advanced little robot like you, hmm? Is your head just a bunch of a squiggly cogs?" She isn't looking at him, hasn't been for as long as she can, but a shiver goes down her spine as he laughs. "It'd be fun to take you apart, wouldn't it now?" He claps his hands together excitedly - excitedly. "Into tiny little bits and pieces, just like a jigsaw puzzle. See how it all fits together! Now that'd be a blast, don't ya think?"

A hand rests on her shoulder, and she jerks forward so hard that the chair topples over.

Faces turn to light green; walls, to swirling purple. She sighs in relief as the memory sinks into black, and green, and purple - one last echo of that horrid laughter... then it's back to the suffocating stillness.

"I'll go first," Nya whispers, one of her hands still quickly - as if it is a familiar motion; well worn - tracing something on the other.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I just-" she reaches up to wipe her eyelids, as if willing the tears to stay put. "I-"

"Would you like a hug?"

"...y- yeah," comes the shaky reply.

Face pressing into her friend's shoulder, she can hear every time their breathing hitches. She hugs tighter, tighter, as if the physical pressure can somehow weld a heart that's missing- something none of them will get back.

"Uh, Pixal?" A gasp. "Cwant bweath-"

"Oh no, I'm sorry-"

"It's fine!" A half smile appears on Nya's face.

A second later, she schools her features back into a neutral expression. She bites her lip, a hand curling into a fist and pressing against her thigh.

"You were saying?" Pixal prompts gently.

"Yah, I just-" she blows out a puff of air, shoulders sagging, "I just keep- keep thinking I could've prevented this!

Which is silly, I know, because I'm not the one who caused any of this to happen! And I did the best I could! We all did! It's not like any of us were part of their crazy group- or knew how far they'd go just- just to get want they want! But-" she cuts herself off. From the corner of her eye, a tear streaks down her face.

"But our best wasn't enough."

Nya stares at her hands, as if she'd just noticed that she was tracing something on one of them.

Her eyes widen.

She chokes back a sob, arms trembling. "My best wasn't good enough."

"If not for me, they'd still- they'd still be-"

The cracks start to align.

"They'd still be alive," Nya whispers. Then, louder, "they'd still be alive if I could've just... just- just- done some- something!"

She draws in heaving breaths, gasping gasping clawing for air. Her fingers sweep her cheeks, over and over, even as her arms continue to shake. Tears drip onto the torn fabric of her gi.

"And-" Her lip wobbles, breaths hitching painfully. "And 'm s- s- sorry!" Nya gasps out. "'M so-" a breath, erratic and forced.

Her whispers fade to inhales and inhales; breaths that pull from the air almost greedily, like she can't get enough of the air - and-

And she probably can't, Pixal realises.

What if she chokes? Or seriously can't breathe enough-

And the oxygen levels in her brain decrease until heart functions fail, her brain supplies unhelpfully.

Not the time, she chides, almost out loud.

She rubs circles into her friend's back, slowly - trying not to think about the fact that this is the first time she's seen those bloodshot grey eyes filling with tears what can she do she doesn't know doesn't know-

"Nd- mmphf- I-"

Her code starts glitching again; vision pixelating.

Oh, great. All of this concern is overloading her processors.

"Are you alright?" Pixal whispers, still rubbing Nya's back. She's almost afraid to stop - afraid that if she does, she'll be doing nothing to help and what happens then what happens then she doesn't know-

"'M fine," comes the shaky reply. Nya inhales and exhales, tearstained cheeks puffing out, then going back to normal size. Her chest rises again. "I'm fine," she says quietly. "Thank you."

"It's fine," she replies on autopilot.

"And- uh- I do not know if this will change your mind, but I'd at least hope to try to, I mean, if I can-" Pixal winces.

"No matter what your thoughts say, it was not your fault that everything went down the way it did. The Sons of Garmadon are just horrible - and it's not any of our faults for failing to meet their insane amount of manpower, or- or failing to assume the worst of them-"

"Are we compatible now?"

She smiles, clasping his hand a little tighter. Sometimes she doesn't quite believe that he's still here - still whole.

"Yes," she giggles, as he rests his head on her shoulder. "We are."

Jay's laughter rings over the comms. "Come on, we're in the middle of a mission!"

"Oh, like the patrols you and Nya sign up for?" Kai shoots back.

Lloyd and Cole collectively sigh.

"Alloromantics," and she can practically hear Cole jokingly put his head in his hands. "I'll never understand 'em."

Her vision pixelates again, and the world goes blurry.

"In all honesty?" Her voice tight with pent-up anger, she narrows her eyes. "We have far too many threats to take on."

Nya gives a halfhearted shrug, as if to say 'it is what it is - I've accepted it, I guess'. But she dips her head in assent. Her gaze falls to the floor as she grits her teeth; lips pressed together tightly.

"Our limitations hold us back - not our will, never our will. We have too few ninja, not nearly enough communication with the police force-" her voice takes on a brittle tone. "And the few of us? We. Logically. Cannot be everywhere at once-"

"So, yeah," she says, quieter. "It's not your fault. It's not any of our faults. We did the best we can-" the world starts breaking into tiny, multicoloured squares. "But we were outnumbered, and, logically, we cannot fight them all."

Nya's shoulders slump, but she reaches over like she's going to imitate a hug - and then pats Pixal's arm awkwardly, stepping away. "I- I- thanks."

"I keep telling myself that," she whispers, rubbing furtively at her eyes. "But I can't seem to believe it, somehow."

"It's not like- like neither of us knew this would happen! It's not like we asked for this! But do either of us cut corners? Leave our roles unfulfilled?"

Her eyes narrow to slits.

"No. No, we don't."

"I just-" she stomps her feet, swallowing back a sob. "I- it's not fair-"

"It's not it's not it's not," Nya says fervently, voice hoarse, as she curls in on herself. "I-"

"I just want them back," she cries. She digs her fingernails into her palms, shaking. "I just- wanwt- hem-"

A dozen or so scenarios present themselves. Pix deliberates sorting through them all; taking notes and working towards what she hopes is the best approach - as she usually does.

But-

Screw it, she declares. Surprising herself, she hits pause on the scenarios for the first time since- the first time in a while.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I don't know what do," she chokes out the confession like acid's burning up her throat, "because- because I don't think there is anything any of us can do."

She pulls her friend into a hug. "But I'll do anything I can to help the two of you," she says.

Light green eyes meet grey.

"I promise."

Nya pushes back the curls framing her face. Her hair's come loose, Pixal realises.

"Can I?" She lifts her wrist to show the hair ties she often wears on it.

"Sure," Nya replies. "Thank you."

A hand squeezes hers. "Not just for the hairdo."

"It's- it's fine."

A few moments later, it is not fine.

Clunky fingers, she notes, struggling to tie a simple ponytail. Another oversight, apparently.

Or...

"You have to do it like this," Cole insists, scribbling furiously.

"Nah, just go with the flow. If it's a bit weird looking, it's not like they'll notice-"

Lloyd swats at Kai with a purple travel pillow.

"That yours, Short Stack?"

"Jay hasn't noticed it's missing yet," Lloyd whispers, making a big show of holding his hand to Kai's ear.

Nya pulls her hair tie onto her wrist.

"Boys," she pretends to whisper. Kai pretends to be annoyed, rolling his eyes.

"Here, I'll show you. One," she pulls a few curls towards her face, separating them into three bunches of strands. "Two," she mutters, pulling the one on the right into the middle.

"And three!" Nya finishes triumphantly, the left strand now in the middle. "Then you just repeat it!"

Zane smiles. "Thank you." He pretends to pat her head.

"Oh, stop it," she laughs, giving him a hug.

"It's too hot for hugs," Kai groans.

"Dude," Nya says slowly. "Have you forgotten that your friend can literally create ice?"

"Ice is nice!" Jay exclaims, pitching his voice at least an octave higher.

Cole grins. Zane puts his head in his hands. Kai falls off the couch.

Lloyd sums up what they're all thinking.

"You look like Dorris Day!"

"TH- THANKS!" the whole room choruses, laughing.

Pixal watches with an ache in her chest.

A longing, for something more than what she's been lucky to enough to get.

She was lucky to enough to live, but not lucky enough to lift the cloak of invisibility that still hangs over her shoulders.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

Titanium fingers deftly go through the motions, green eyes watching a grainy world of colour and squares.

The cloak's gone now.

She's Samurai X now.

They're not here to see it.

Nya shakes her head. "Oh - a plait?" She asks, reaching her hand back to check. "Thank you. I didn't know you could do those, though?"

To answer the question or ignore it?

"Well-" her vision starts to clear. "Well, you were the one to teach me."

A bittersweet smile comes to her face. "I never had a chance to thank you until now."

Nya looks confused for a moment.

Then, absolutely gut punched.

"O- oh. Oh, FSM. You were watching that day, weren't you? The day we got back from the cinema?"

Her eyes widen.

"FSM," she says slowly. She drags a hand down her face, eyes peeking out from the gaps between her fingers. "You were always there with us, weren't you?"

Pixal nods - not sure if she trusts herself to give a proper reply.

Nya reaches over to squeeze her hand again.

"I don't even know what to say," she mutters sadly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I can't believe it slipped our minds so often, that- that-"

Out of sight, out of mind. An old expression her father sometimes used.

"That our team had seven members," she adds, eyes misty. "That- that I could've had sixbest friends, if I'd tried."

Nya's gaze sweeps across the empty warehouse - inches and inches of bare metal, a mech curled up in one corner and a boy in the other. Two fighting machines, Pixal thinks bitterly.

Grey eyes meet hers.

"We're all we've got left," Nya says. "We're all the city's got left."

"We will do th- everything we can," Pixal vows. "For the city-"

"And each other," Nya concludes fervently. She inhales, slowly.

Her voice is still thick with unshed tears, her arms still shake.

Pixal's processors keep overloading, her world becoming a startling mirage of colour and blocks every so often.

But she looks down to their clasped hands - one with bruised knuckles; an old scar in the middle of the palm. One with bits of metal poking out from the seams - one, cobbled together from bits and pieces that no one else wanted.

She looks down at their hands, and she sees. And she is seen.

They need to grieve. She knows this. She knows that Nya's confident stance doesn't hide the anger and sadness swirling in her friends irises; knows that Lloyd has many wounds that she cannot bandage.

But she is seen.

And she sees - I can't take away the sadness, or the anger, but I can try to help through it, a robot with white-blond hair realises.

Yet - it is not enough, merely to be seen. Merely to see.

For what is that without others to see you too? Without others for you to see?

But when Nya clings to her a little tighter, she doesn't let go.

When her friend promises Lloyd that she'll always protect him, Pixal bites her lip.

She pulls off the chains she'd shot at him. Later that day, she ruffles his hair. She offers similar words - completely unprepared for a sobbing boy to wrap his arms round her chest.

They all try - to listen, to offer tissues, hugs, to say that it's okay not to know, it's okay to be angry. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. That it's okay to grieve. To admit that they also hope they're going to come back, because hope hurts less than facing the reality.

They see.

And so does she.

---

Misako rattles the door handle as she

comes back from her shift of the patrol.

Seeing that Lloyd and Nya are asleep, her shoulders sag just a little. She sighs in relief.

Maybe it's just the paranoia talking, but she's always terrified that she'll come back to an empty warehouse one day. That she'll fail her child again; leave him behind in the name of protecting him.

That was a bad choice, she chides. This isn't. We have to ensure that we're not being followed. We have to keep the resistance alive, she repeats like a mantra. Maybe if she thinks it enough, it'll hurt a little less.

Noticing one member of their party missing, her gaze flits to Pixal welding pieces of her mech back together.

"I can take the next shift, too," she says quietly.

"I've got it," the girl replies - how did did even hear her from all the way across the warehouse? - brushing white hair from her eyes. Then- "Is there even a shift now? I thought we agreed that it's unlikely for the Sons of Garmadon to be on the streets at 3AM."

Is that what time is it? Heck.

"Yes, sorry," Misako replies. Of all the kids, Pixal's been the most withdrawn. She helps plan Lloyd's training schedule, braids Nya's hair and holds her hand and listens.

No, she's not withdrawn from the group. It's more like she's withdrawing herself from them - letting everyone talk to her about this horrid biker gang, but not talking to everyone else about the nightmare fuel things they've done.

She unties her hair, sighing.

Not for the first time during these few days, she deliberates asking the third kid to open up a little.

But-

Look at your son, a nasty little voice at the back of her mind hisses. If he's any indication that you're not good with kids-

"Shut up," Misako mutters.

She walks over to the Samurai X Mech.

"What are you doing?"

Light green eyes lift their gaze from the metal.

"Trying to improve some functions," Pixal replies. Her eyebrows crease. "Shouldn't you be asleep? It is, after all, 3AM."

"Can't really sleep. But what about you?"

"I don't need sleep," she replies, a half-smile on her face. "Do you want to talk about whatever's bothering you?"

This isn't the first offer.

The irony, she thinks sadly.

She won't admit it - not to her kids, not to herself - but she's worried. Worried about the girl who spent half an hour unable to see and then brushed it off as unimportant. Worried about the other kid with green eyes - the one whose heart isn't so visibly worn as her son's is. The warrior who'd once thrown a man through a building on live TV.

"I'm good, thank you. And you?"

Almost as if on autopilot, Pixal echoes Misako's answer.

Maybe it would be better if this kid wore their heart on their sleeve a little more.

"Well, I'm not an engineer - but I took a couple courses in uni. Can I help you with anything?"

"Sure!" A bit of a spark appears in the girl's eyes. "So, I'm trying to make the right arm move smoother - also, do you think it'd be better to..."

An hour or so later, Misako's pretty sure she has grease in her hair - but the mech doesn't look too worse for the wear.

"Thanks for letting me help," she says, smiling. "Even if I almost caused the jetpack's fuel to explode."

"Zane did the same thing," Pixal replies, without thinking - and then a shadow falls over her face.

Misako puts her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Goodnight-"

Quicker than she'd have thought possible from anyone, even a robot, Pixal jerks forward like she's been punched. Breathing heavily, the girl places her hands over her eyes and moans.

Frozen, Misako stands ramrod still with shock for a moment. "Are you alright?" she asks gently.

Slowly backing away, Pixal stumbles over the arm of her a mech. She doesn't even try to break her fall, instead drawing her legs to her chest.

"Please," she cries, rocking forwards and backwards. "Please, I'll tell you anything you want to know, just don't-"

The light green of Pixal's eyes flickers in and out as she screams.

Misako's blood practically runs cold.

Not again, is all she can think as she walks closer - not too close, never too close. Not again. Not again.

"Can you hear me?"

She repeats the question a minute later, each second sending a twinge of pain through her skull. Not again. Not again. Not again.

It seems like an eternity before the other girl shakily nods her head.

"You're in Ninjago City," Misako says, trying not to let her concern find its way into her voice. "It's 2018. You're in a warehouse with Nya, Lloyd and I. You're safe. You're safe."

"Okay," Pixal replies. "Thank you."

"Can you see?" Misako asks gently.

A few seconds pass. "Not really," Pixal admits, so softly that Misako has to strain to hear her.

"Do you know why? Can I help?"

"Yes, no. It'll pass soon, thank you."

"Can I hold your hand?"

Pixal's eyes start to blink in and out, like a traffic light. She'd laugh if they were in any other situation - anything but this. Not again.

"Yes," she says after a minute. "But-"

"Yes?"

"But please don't touch my shoulders."

"You got it," Misako replies, her voice measured. But a shiver goes down her spine all the same. Pixal's, what- fifteen? Any age is horrible, but- fifteen-

Her eyes are starting to go bloodshot, but she refuses to let any tears fall. She's the adult here - the only adult here. They're meant to come to her for help, not the other way around.

After about half an hour of anxious thoughts (not paranoia, not this time - is that better or worse? Not better, she thinks, wiping a tear from her cheek, because now there's evidence for her anxiety to feed on and that's a million times worse, there shouldn't be bits of truth in this story-), Pixal's eyes stop flashing and go back to normal. She takes in the room quickly, seemingly startled to find Misako sitting a meter away from her.

"You should have gone to sleep - it's late. But..." the girl trails off. "Thank you so much. I didn't know the- that could be helped like that. I appreciate it."

"Anytime," Misako says slowly. "But what exactly was that?" She holds up a hand. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but..." she bites her lip, adding, "but it might help."

"I'm fine," comes the reply, a little curt. "Thank you, though."

"No, you're not."

Misako's not sure who's more surprised by the words - her, or Pixal.

You've made your bed, now lie in it.

"I don't know what you're going through," she starts, swallowing, "not exactly. But I have an idea. And that's not easy to go through, whatever it is that you're dealing with." She presses a hand to her face to keep the tears from falling. "But I'm always here if you want to talk about it."

"I-"

Pixal cuts herself off.

At first, it looks like she's going to politely decline the offer. She opens her mouth and starts the same autopilot reply; Misako's heart sinks.

But then she cuts herself off again.

"No," she mutters to herself. "Screw it. Apparently I'm not good enough at coding to do this one simple thing, so this can't hurt, can it?"

"You- you won't tell Lloyd? Or Nya?" Pixal twists her fingers back and forth nervously.

"You have my word."

The next hour turns out to be one of the most horrifying of Misako's life.

Pixal talks - casually, far too casually - of a prison cell, and a man who- who- who had spun a wheel to see which limbs of hers he was going to smash. A man who'd made her watch as he threatened to kill her lover if she didn't cooperate with his demands. A man who started a war - for fun.

A man who smashed her body limb from limb, and left the pieces for her lover to find.

"And sometimes- I mean- I don't know, it sounds stupid," Pixal mutters. "But sometimes I feel like he took so much more from me than just an- and exoskeleton," her voice cracks, "and some metal."

"My entire identity became 'the girl in Zane's head'," she says, shaking. "And I'm glad that I got to live, because I would never... have made it out of that cell otherwise."

"But I could- couldn't even talk!" she cries, raising her hands to her face again. "I. Couldn't. Even. Talk."

"And Zane would try and relay what I was saying, at first, but it got so confusing and it eventually just fizzled out."

Her bright green eyes fade out, then turn back on. Pixal winces.

"I just- so many opportunities," she says sadly, her fingers curled into fists. "I never had any friends, and when the nightmares came back I-"

Breathing heavily, she holds out a hand to Misako. The latter takes it, a little confused. "And I didn't know what to do, and- and when Zane was hacked and Nya- the power core- and I was all alone again and- this time I really was alone and- mech- at least no one can-"

Pixal sounds like she's on the verge of a panic attack.

"Hey," Misako starts gently, "can you breathe in for four seconds?"

They talk well into the sunrise - Pixal learning that her supposed 'glitch' was not a problem that she'd failed to fix, her eyes going completely blank at the realisation.

"Can you see?" Misako has asked.

"Yes," she whispers, as if in disbelief. She reaches a hand tentatively forward. "I- I can see, everything's blurry but I can see-"

Misako learns that the snake who blackmailed her husband for so many years; the man who provoked bloodshed and war and countless other atrocities - she learns that he's in the Departed Realm, now.

Morro is there too. Maybe they'll finish each other off, she thinks bitterly.

She still wants to punch something, but she'll rest a bit easier knowing that Chen spent a fair amount of time rotting in the Cursed Realm. It's a shame Nya had fo destroy it, she thinks. Some people deserve to be there.

Pixal sees others, yes.

Yet, as the sun rises -

She is seen.

[omnivorousshipper]

Afterwards- F9 Fic

Mia glared at Dom, who stood across from her on the other side of her kitchen

"We're going, Dom." She told him firmly

It was late when she had called him and told him to come over. She needed to talk to him urgently and she didn't care what time it was.

"No."

Mia grinded her teeth even more. "Dom, I swear-"

"He messed up. I'm not giving him a second chance."

"Are you kidding me?!" Mia hissed. She desperately wanted to scream and get into his face but not when her kids were sleeping upstairs. And she knew Brian was awake upstairs, keeping an ear on them just in case something happened. "He's been out of our lives for years, comes back and now you want to throw him out again?"

"He only came back into our lives for the Ares device."

"I don't care!" Mia snarled back. "He's our brother and I don't want to lose him again!"

She watched as Dom's emotionless mask started to weaken

"It's not that simple-" he began

"It's not? Why isn't it?" She snapped

Dom glared at her but stayed silent

Shaking her head, Mia felt tired. They had been having this fight for years and it never went anywhere. But this time, Mia was going to force Dom to go with her to see Jakob

"I know where he is. He's been giving me updates after what happened. We should go see him."

"Go without me." Dom grunted

"Dom." She sighed. "I want him back. I want him to meet my kids, I want them to know they have another uncle. Don't you want Little Brian to have the same?"

Dom looked away from her before turning his back on her

"We'll leave in the morning." He said over his shoulder and left

Stunned, Mia listened as his car peeled out of the driveway and down the street

---

Stretching, Jakob yawned loudly as warm rays of sunlight streamed into the luxurious beach house he had rented. Outside the window, he could hear the soft crashing of waves and birds singing

Smiling softly, he turned his face away from the beautiful sight outside and looked down at the one next to him

Owen was still sleeping peacefully next to him, face shoved into a pillow so the sunlight wouldn't bother him. The sheet was tangled around his feet and he was wearing sleep pants with dogs on them

Reaching down, Jakob combed a hand through Owen's much longer hair and chuckled at the sleepy grumble the other man made

"Get up, Owen. I'll go make breakfast."

He only got a groan in response as he slid out of bed and out of the bedroom. He knew he'd be coming back in to wake Owen up, probably having to physically get him out of the bed

Tying his robe loosely around his waist, Jakob walked towards the fully stalked kitchen. But stopped when he heard the doorbell

His hand immediately went for one of the extra guns he had hidden around the house. You could never be too sure when one of your enemies were going to come knocking

Slowly, Jakob made his way towards the door and used the peephole to look out

"The fuck are they doing here?" Jakob hissed and pocketed the gun. They would see it, but he didnt really care all that much. Swinging the door open, Jakob glared out at his brother and sister

Mia gave him a tentative smile while Dom tried to give a neutral expression

"Hi, Jakob." Mia said softly and took a step forward

Jakob didn't hesitate to open his arms for his little sister and couldn't believe how big she was. When he had left, she had been a little girl, just barely in her teens. Now, she was an adult, with a family and husband

He wished he hadn't missed so much of his sister's life

"What are you doing here?" He asked wheb she finally pulled away

"We wanted to talk." Mia looked up at him sadly. "Our family shouldn't be split up like this."

Jakob glanced at Dom and could see the warring emotions in his eyes. Squaring his shoulders, Jakob nodded

There wouldn't be any harm in talking to them

Opening the door more, he motioned them to enter. Shutting it behind them, he opened his mouth to say something before a thought slammed into him

Owen

"Give me a second." He grunted and walked away before either could say anything

Speed walking down the hallway, Jakob let out a breath of relief when he saw Owen still asleep. Quietly, Jakob approached the sleeping Shaw

"Owen." He whispered and gently shook his shoulder

"Nnngh." Owen moaned

"Owen, I need you to stay in here until I tell you. I have a business meeting right now and they don't know you're here."

The other man only shoved his face deeper into the pillow. Shaking his head, Jakob rolled his eyes and left him to sleep. Locking the door behind him, he only hoped Owen would get the message

He didn't need his brother and sister learning he was gay. Not like this at least

Stepping back into the main living area, he saw Mia sitting on the kitchen and Dom standing by a large window. Glancing between them, Jakob wasn't sure what to say

"I think," Mia spoke up. "We need to talk about what happened to Dad."

Jakob clenched his jaw and refused to look over at Dom. He had already explained his side of the story

"Why was he in debt?"

Blinking, Jakob was surprised Dom had willingly spoken up and had asked a question rather than start accusing him

"Gambling debts." Jakob told them. "He never had any luck but was convinced he would win big and pay it all back. He never did."

"And the race?" Mia asked quietly, almost as if she didn't want the answer

"The men he owned money to were betting against him. Told him he could pay a lot of it back by losing the race."

He saw the grief in both of their faces as he explained. No doubt they wished they could have helped their dad so he didn't have to resort to such measures

"Sounds just like my da."

Jakob's eyes went wide as he heard the suave voice behind him. He could see the equally shocked looks on his siblings faces

"What are you doing here, Shaw?" Dom growled

Jakob's eyes widened. How did Dom know Owen? Looking over his shoulder, Jakob didn't enjoy seeing the mischievous glint in Owen's eyes. The other man smirked at him as he walked further into the living room, still shirtless

"Was enjoying a nice vacation," Owen drawled and draped and arm over Jakob's shoulders. Without thinking, Jakob wrapped an arm around Owen. "Wasn't expecting company."

"They came unannounced." Jakob said, looking between the three

"Jakob, how do you know him?" Mia's face was so soft, Jakob almost didn't hear the hint of anger underneath it

"We shag occasionally." Owen shrugged

"Owen!" Jakob hissed and glared at him, but the smaller man only smiled up at him sweetly. Letting out a huff of frustration, Jakob looked back at Dom and Mia. "Look, this isn't how I wanted to tell you guys-"

"That you're sleeping with the guy who kidnapped me?" Mia snapped

"-that I'm gay." Jakob finished at the same time and stared at Mia, who stared back at him just as shocked

Before he could even ask for an explanation to that, a thundercloud of anger passed over Mia's face. Instinctively, Jakob tightened his arm around Owen

"What the hell, Dom?!" Mia screeched and stormed up to their older brother. "Did you really kick him out because he's gay?!"

Dom looked as if he was slapped as his mouth hung open and he made an odd grunting noise. This didn't appease Mia as she got into his space and shoved at his shoulder

"Did you actually throw him out because of Dad or because of who he's attracted to? I thought you were better than that!"

"I didn't know he was gay!" Dom finally snapped

Jakob could only stare as Mia continued to lay into Dom. After a minute, he felt Owen slip out of his grip

"Im going to take a shower. Come get me when they leave." Owen whispered in his ear before sauntering out of the room and leaving Jakob to deal with the mess

[cienie-isengardu]

Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.

Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.

"LET US BEGIN!"

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In the spirit of potential future writing,  I'm trying to find a building that  would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.

I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff,  but is all exterior.  Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?

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So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time,  and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I  guess the question is,  do they care?

Do they have a religion,  or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist,  but we just consider them very strong people"?

Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?

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Food.  What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like?  What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?

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If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty,  what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old,  but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child,  its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).

What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic,  but in the game,  Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?

Lastly,  in the movie,  everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly),  and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?

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Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero,  and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).

That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?

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Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.

Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the  movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.

And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)

But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered?   Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women,  I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources,  is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture,  but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol,  drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury,  if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?

Etc. That's all the questions I can think of,  but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask,  if you think of anything else.

Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!

So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.

Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.

The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).

At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.

Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.

(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)

Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion

Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.

Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.

Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.

and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:

Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?

Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?

Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.

In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:

Raiden: Sub-Zero...

Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.

Raiden': That's why you shall lose.

Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?

"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"

Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.

But honestly?

The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.

Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:

Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?

Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.

Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.

Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.

Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.

Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??

Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.

Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.

Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.

Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.

Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.

And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:

Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.

Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.

Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?

Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.

Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:

“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”

“Cursed? By whom?”

Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”

Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”

“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”

“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”

“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.

“What man?”

“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”

“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.

“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”

“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”

Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”

Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:

He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.

Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.

The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord

albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.

So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.

Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.

Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.

Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.

And so, we could see human remains:

put in two coffins on each side of statue

hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar

Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)

and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:

It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.

Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).

My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.

(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)

As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:

Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.

So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.

Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.

(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)

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RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS